To Watch Her Be Dazzled
by his babi seal
Summary: Alice's pov of Twilight. All of the same events except from what she is seeing.
1. Chapter 1: First Sight

Chapter One: First Sight

**A/N: Hey everybody. This is my first fanfic so go easy on me. But I'd really really really like to know what everybody thinks about it. So please, review! It's not hard, just click the button! I do it too. Oh, and, as you might have noticed, the title is the same as the real Twilight's. I thought it still kind of fit this chapter, so I used it. But just know that it's Stephenie Meyer's.**

**Disclaimer: Obviously, I don't own Twilight. Now that we've established that, read!**

Chapter One: First Sight

Alice POV

I walked unusually slowly to the cafeteria of Forks High School. I was quickly scanning through the near future, checking how Jasper, the most important person – well, vampire – of my life was holding up. Every once in a while, I'd see disturbing images of my love attacking an innocent student of Forks High, resulting in a quickening in my pace. But the future always changed back to normal, or whatever wasn't my husband draining the blood of a human, and I calmed back down.

It killed me to see the one I love in such pain, torturing himself in this way. I didn't see why he kept doing this to himself, forcing himself to be surrounded by temptation. I suppose he wanted to prove to the six of us that he was strong enough, that he could perform the same amount of self-control that the rest of us could. But, considering his background that was so different from the rest of our family's, he had been doing remarkably well.

As I opened the door to the cafeteria, my eyes went straight to our usual table. There sat Jasper, a look of deep concentration on his face. My nonexistent heart ached at that look of pain contorted on his face. It couldn't have helped much that every student in the cafeteria bubbled with excitement because of the arrival of Chief Swan's daughter. Personally, I didn't see what people found so special about this girl. I had seen her in a few visions while walking through the halls next to people who had decided to introduce themselves to her. She had potential to be very pretty, but she was in dire need of a few shopping trips. But perhaps it was just the idea of something new in this dull, dreary town that excited everyone, although Isabella Swan was the farthest thing from my mind at the moment. A calm room full of people would have helped Jasper's struggling now and she was the cause of all the buzz. Obviously, 'calm' was impossible at the moment.

I quickly grabbed a lunch tray of food that I wouldn't eat, and walked over to Jasper, yearning to soothe him.

"Hey, Jasper," I said quietly, taking my seat next to him in one quick movement.

"Alice," he breathed. He stared into my eyes, intense with suffering. He needed me right now and all I wanted to do was sit here and comfort him.

"I know." I murmured. He had to know I understood his pain and would be there to comfort him. What I wouldn't give to be able to take his pain away. But he would just have to learn control after time, I knew that. It always got better. Eventually.

The others – Rosalie, Emmett, and Edward – were all listlessly staring into space. Being a vampire was pure torture at times. We were all like well-trained actors and actresses, with rolls, props, and set acts. We played students who attended Forks High School, carrying around books that we had long since memorized, paying for food that would never touch our lips, and faithfully going to our boring classes. Although, to humans, we were beautiful and attractive to no end, we all had to be outcasts, the ones not accepted in this small, insignificant school. Human contact was to be avoided, just for extra precautions. No one spoke to us or tried to befriend us, and that suited us just fine. We were, essentially, lone creatures and only needed the presence of our family members.

I took Jasper's hand in my own, letting him know that I would be there for him. He gave me a small, weak smile that didn't touch his eyes.

Emmett and Rosalie started to quietly talk amongst themselves, they're lips a shiver of movement and impossible to hear by human ears.

I was vaguely aware of Edward with a look on his face that said people were fantasizing about him and he was obviously trying to tune it all out. _Poor Edward,_ I thought to myself. He was the only one of the family who hadn't yet found someone to truly love. I couldn't imagine the loneliness and emptiness he felt, or how I would ever be able to exist without Jasper at my side. Things must be tough for Edward.

Edward turned his head a fraction of an inch towards me and his gaze flickered to me for half a second. His expression said he didn't need sympathy right now. _Sorry_, I thought in my head and he nodded without looking my way.

I turned my head back to face Jasper and scanned the future. I saw a flash of another one of his disturbing urges, just a blur, and turned my head with lightning bolt speed to him. That's when I noticed that he had just caught a whiff of the sweet aroma of a freshman's hair, stirring in the air. Of course, the vision had already changed, and the future no longer included the murder of that girl.

Yet, he had, of course, noticed my reflex reaction and that had annoyed him. He knew that I had just seen his thoughts in the future.

"Don't have to make it so obvious, Alice. I wasn't going to do it." he muttered under his breath.

"I'm sorry, Jasper. I know you weren't." I apologized sincerely. I knew it bothered him that I could see his every unhealthy decision. Usually I was able to comfort him, but sometimes were just harder than others.

I glanced around the cafeteria again, still loud with afternoon chatter. Edward now had a look of definite frustration on his face. He was staring at a wall, but every so often, he would glance towards the new girl. Once, he even turned away to hide a smile. Probably just thoughts he had picked up, randomly. I didn't care enough to ask. All I was worried about was my Jasper.

_How is he?_ I thought to Edward. Edward pretended to suddenly become very interested in his bagel, shredding it too bits. As he looked down at the bagel, he frowned ever so slightly. This was our code. Edward and I had always had a special bond, mostly because of our peculiar gifts. He could read my thoughts to see my visions, and he would share with me the thoughts he had picked off of my love. Edward and I looked out for each other, it was just the way our bond had come, naturally. His frown hadn't surprised me, though. Jasper must have been having a bad day.

"The bell's going to ring soon, Jasper. We should get going." I told him quietly.

"I want to stay here for a bit if you don't mind." he answered. I nodded, trying not to feel too hurt. Sometimes, Jasper just needed to be alone. I understood that. He could feel the worry radiating off of me, and didn't want to feel it. He didn't want to know that I worried about him so much.

With that, I glanced at my family one last time – Emmett was teasing Rosalie about something and Rosalie was smacking the back of his head, Jasper was staring at his plate, and Edward still had that look on his face – and took my tray to throw away. Through my peripheral vision, I noticed Isabella Swan staring at me walking. She really did seem like a nice girl, if a bit quiet. I would have to ask Edward later what kinds of thoughts she had had on her first day, especially about us. It was always fun to listen to first impressions.


	2. Chapter 2: Time

Chapter Two: Time

Chapter Two: Time

Alice POV

Walking home towards Edward's silver Volvo, I was still absorbed in Jasper's future, watching his every move. His decisions throughout the rest of the day had been much calmer and hadn't involved any other urges. I met Rose, Emmett, and Jasper by the car where Edward had an intense look on his face. Uh-oh. He looked absolutely furious. What had I missed? I realized with a pang of guilt that I had been so preoccupied with Jasper the whole day, that I had completely ignored everyone else's futures.

_What's wrong?_ I thought as everyone curiously took in Edward's expression.

Edward just glared at me. I stared back, wondering what on Earth could be wrong with him. That's when I saw it. Edward in his Volvo, following Bella Swan home (I had had more visions of the girl, correcting everyone on her name). She, of course, had no clue. The second she went into the house, Edward was a blur, after her. That's when my vision ended.

"Oh," I said. I stumbled back a bit, very unlike me, but Jasper caught me from behind. I wasn't usually surprised and I just couldn't believe I had missed this.

"Thanks, Jasper," I whispered, "I'm so sorry Edward. I should have seen this. I wasn't thinking – "

"It's fine, Alice." he said coldly. He was still staring at me.

Then, I had another vision. Edward was in Carlisle's car, driving at 120 miles per hour, away from the house. He had a look of intent on his face.

"You're leaving?" I said quietly. I would miss Edward terribly. But I could see he had to do this and his mind was already set.

"I suppose I am." he said after a while.

"Could someone fill me in here?" Emmett demanded impatiently. I had barely noticed the others who still didn't know what was going on.

"I'll tell you later, Emmett." I said. I was still ashamed that I had completely missed this. I might have been able to stop Edward, to comfort him. And now he was leaving for an unknown amount of time. Esme would be so upset.

With that, Edward sped home to drop us off and then go back to the hospital to trade cars with Carlisle. He was in no mood to talk so it was a quiet ride home. I could feel his fury though, it was practically visible, floating around him.

As we got out of the car at the house, Edward simply looked at us and said, "Tell Esme not to worry. I'm going to Alaska." I nodded and he sped off.

"So, do you mind telling me what the hell is going on?" Emmett asked. I smiled bleakly at Emmett. He could never fail to have a sense of humor, even in the darkest of moments. But that reminded me of the contrast between Edward and Emmett. Edward had a very dark sense of humor, it was always filled with grief or sadness. He knew too much about life and human nature to be surprised anymore. Emmett, on the other hand, was always sunny and optimistic. He was so warm and could make the worst situations bearable.

"Emmett, Edward just caught a whiff of Bella Swan today. And he could barely resist. Her blood appealed to him so strongly today, he almost killed her right then and there. I think it was something like that time when you came across that human and . . . Well, he needs to get away for a while, to think about things. He just needs time. He's going to Denali."

"The boy's got strength. I remember how it felt that last time . . . Anyways, I hope he gets that sorted out."

I nodded and with that, the conversation dropped.

The next two days went by very slowly. I waited for Edward to come back. Things were just not the same without him. Jasper often tried to cheer me up by letting a wave of euphoria pass over me. But it was still not real. I wondered how it was utterly possible for Edward to go back to school. How could he face Bella every single day, the bloodlust never fading? Would he be strong enough?

On the third day, I was elated because I knew Edward was coming home. I had had a vision of him, happier, speeding home. Esme would be relieved. And furious. But I just wanted our family back to normal. Everyone had been very quiet while he was gone. It bothered me.

I was bouncing up and down on the porch with excitement when Carlisle's black Mercedes pulled up into the clearing. _It's good to have you home, Edward,_ I thought to him with a smile. He stepped out, also with a smile.

"It's good to be back!" he said. He definitely looked much better than before. He had hunted, making his eyes a light ocher. The bruise-like shadows under his eyes were gone. But most of all, he looked confident and happy again. He was no longer filled with rage at Bella Swan.

"Come on, let's go inside. Everyone's waiting." I said. He followed me inside, at vampire speed. Everyone was already waiting. No surprise there.

"Edward!" said Carlisle, pulling him into an embrace, "It's good to have you home again."

"Thank you, Carlisle. And I'm so sorry for running off. I had to be alone for a while to calm down." he said, meaningfully looking at Esme as he said this. Esme was still upset, but more glad to have Edward home. She also hugged him tightly.

"You will tell me before going next time, Edward." she said sternly.

"Of course, mom. I'm sorry." he replied. But Emmett was already slapping him on the back, loudly.

"Edward! My brother, it was so boring without you here." he boomed. Rosalie smacked him.

"Edward," she said curtly.

"Rosalie," he said in the same tone of voice. His face was blank but his eyes were mocking.

"And Jasper," he said, slowly turning to Jasper.

"I'm glad you're back, Edward," he said, smiling. I loved it when Jasper smiled like that. Nothing could make me happier.

Everyone let Edward be alone for a while, in his room. I took this chance to go and talk to him. I wanted to see how things would go with the girl.

"Edward," I said quietly to his closed door. He opened it a second later. He probably knew I would talk to him sooner or later.

"Alice, come on in." he said, so I flopped down in the middle of his room, cross-legged.

"Well, I just wanted to apologize once again for not seeing you the last time. I was paying so much attention to Jasper, he hasn't been doing as good, and I really shouldn't have – ''

"Alice, Alice, stop. It's really okay. It's not your responsibility to look after everybody. I'm fine." he said, calmly.

"Well, in that case, can you tell me more about what happened three days ago and what you're planning on doing about it?" I asked.

Edward sighed. "Well, at lunch, I was trying to listen to the girl's thoughts. But the strangest thing is I can't read her thoughts." At this, I gaped. Edward never met anyone whose thoughts he couldn't read. How strange, indeed. "I listened and listened, but never got anything. Her head was quiet. So after lunch ended, I went to Biology II. And she came in." he growled. "The moment she passed me, I almost fell over with the scent. It was unbearable and she had to sit next to me! I tried my hardest not to do anything I might regret. It was impossible. And it did no good that I knew there were a hundred different ways I could lure her in. And she would follow. I went through an hour of the suffering, until it was over and I was out of there in a second. After school, I tried to get Mrs. Cope to let me switch Biology periods, and _she_" – he growled – "walked in. This time was so much harder because there was only one other person in that small room with her. I could just snap old Mrs. Cope's neck and then I'd have the girl all to myself – '' He broke off and hung his head in shame.

"Edward, you did wonderfully. You resisted and you didn't succumb. I'd say that's pretty amazing. You should be proud." I told him.

"Yes, but what about tomorrow? When I have to face her all over again? How can I do that every single day? It's impossible!" he cried.

"Edward, you will not hurt that girl." I ordered. "Chief Swan needs her and, by your behavior in class with her last time, it will raise suspicion towards us all. Do you want that for us?" I asked him. I was trying to make it impossible for him to hurt that girl. He wouldn't be able to stand it if he did and I didn't want to live with that.

"Are you mad, Alice? Of course not! I could never do that, and I will _not_ hurt Bella Swan. I'm pretty sure I can handle it now." he said, obviously angry that I had even questioned his love for our family. I knew that was below me, but I also knew the pressure of our family's staying inconspicuous would be enough for him to resist.

"I know you wouldn't, Edward," I soothed. "I'll stay near during school and be on the look out for you too. If you need me, just call."

"Thanks, Alice. I knew you'd understand." With that, he pulled me into an embrace and I left him to think.

Edward decided to skip school on Friday. He wasn't quite yet ready to go back to face Bella Swan yet. He would go back on Monday though, he couldn't put it off forever. So on Friday, I was also more aware of the Swan girl. How peculiar it was that Edward could not read her thoughts. What did that mean? I could see her future, so it wasn't as if none of our powers worked on her.

At lunch, she did a quick sweep of the room, her eyes falling on our table. She looked away quickly, though. Could she have any idea of the danger she had been in on Monday? Probably not. I wonder if she even noticed Edward's behavior. Her first impression of the Cullens could not be very good if she had. _Stay away from us, for your own good,_ I thought. We were dangerous creatures to be around.


	3. Chapter 3: Rule Breaking

A/N: Just so you all know, for the conversations between Jessica and Bella, I took that from the book to make it feel like the

**A/N: Just so you all know, for the conversations between Jessica and Bella, I took that from the book to make it feel like the real Twilight, though the dialogue is from Alice's POV. Get it? Got it? Good.**

Chapter Three: Rule Breaking

Alice POV

On Monday morning, it was snowing. I loved the snow. It appeared dainty and delicate, while it could actually cause mass havoc and was very strong and powerful. Like me. It was even white like me! The snow made me more cheerful and bouncy. Usually, I could feel positive or negative feelings about how the day would go. Today, I had a good feeling things were going to go smoothly for Edward today. He seemed confident enough as he drove us to school in the silver Volvo. Rosalie and Emmett were chatting, animatedly while I held Jasper's hand in my own. I hoped things would get better for him soon. It hurt me to see him in such pain. His face was calm and serene, though, at the moment. Probably due to the light atmosphere. Edward must not have been feeling too anxious then. I wished school could be as easygoing as this; it would be so much easier for Jasper! And it _was_ for us, nothing was stressful since there was nothing left to learn for us anymore. But the rest of the school was a different story altogether. Stress, worry, heartbreak, depression, anxiety, they were all found on the every day Forks High School attendee. Jasper had to go through all of those emotions because of them.

As we arrived in the school parking lot, I gave Edward a confident smile. He would do well. I could feel it, deep down in my core. He returned the smile because he could read my thoughts, see my reassurances. I went off to my first class. As usual, I was watching out for Jasper, who was feeling better today. But I also kept true to my word, and took peeks at Edward's future every so often. Nothing much had changed.

At lunch, I took my usual seat next to Jasper. His hair was full of wet, dripping snow, as were Edward's and Emmett's. Many people were staring, but I paid them little attention. I couldn't blame them, though. The snow had a beautiful effect on them because it made their hair glisten miraculously. Jasper looked even more handsome. I smiled. Then, Emmett chose that moment to pretend to be a dog as he shook his hair at Rosalie and I. We both leaned back, laughing. It was at that moment when I looked up and saw Bella Swan's eyes, transfixed in horror staring at us. Why was she staring so? Then I realized who in particular she was staring at. It was Edward. Of course. Well, obviously she had noticed his behavior on Monday. The poor girl. She must be terrified.

With my super hearing, I could hear the familiar, annoying voice of Jessica Stanley. She was talking to Bella Swan, who was trying to tune her out.

"Bella, what are you staring at?" she asked. I swiveled my head back around to face her. Edward, who also heard the question, did the same. Bella quickly lowered her head, letting her hair fan out, covering her face. I couldn't help a sly smile. Her embarrassment was clear. Why was that?

I looked back at Edward. He was staring at her, a slightly frustrated look on his face. He obviously still couldn't read her mind. That must really bother him, especially because he needed to hear how innocent her thoughts were to stop himself from hurting her. I thought about how blind he must feel without being able to hear her thoughts. A shiver ran through me as I thought about how blind _I_ would be without my ability to see the future. Not knowing what was coming would make me feel very vulnerable. It would make me feel too . . . normal. Ugh.

I listened once more to the conversation going on between Bella and the pestering Jessica.

"Edward Cullen is staring at you," she accused, giggling. I glanced at him. A smile played at the corners of his mouth at Bella's apparent embarrassment.

"He doesn't look angry, does he?" she whispered. Yes, she had definitely noticed Edward's furious behavior last Monday. I smirked at him, feeling sorry for her. And she would sit by him in Biology II for the rest of the year.

"No, should he be?" asked Jessica, puzzled.

"I don't think he likes me," she said. Ha.

"The Cullens don't like anybody . . . well, they don't notice anybody enough to like them. But he's still staring at you." she said.

At this, I stifled a giggle. The Cullens didn't like anybody, huh? Well, it would be bad luck for you if we did.

"Stop looking at him," she hissed at Jessica. Jessica did as told. I turned to look at Edward. He was smiling. Obviously, he found this very amusing.

Then, I had a vision. Edward and Bella were talking in Mr. Banner's room during Biology II. She looked slightly annoyed as Edward smiled at something. They were doing the normal name-the-phases-of-mitosis lab together. Eew. I hated that lab, I had done it a couple hundred times too many. It looked like he was going to do well. Edward must have just made the decision to talk to her.

"Edward, everything's going to be fine today." I reassured him. "It looked like you were finding Bella Swan quite interesting in my vision." I added.

"I doubt it," he said quietly, although he looked pleased that he would be strong enough. I sighed. Edward was a bit of a know-it-all when it came to humans. He had seen everything about the human mind, every remark, every reaction. Not one was different, had a truly different view of the world.

As the bell rang, signaling the next class and the end of lunch, I stood up quickly and skipped off to my destination. I would still be closely watching over the two boys.

At the end of the day, I met Edward at the car, as usual. We were both early and waiting for Rosalie, Emmett, and Jasper. He was looking triumphant about resisting again today. I couldn't blame him. Resisting the blood of a human that appeals to you so intensely isn't an easy thing to do. It required strength and self-control. I went to go sit in the car, while waiting for the others. Edward was leaning against the back of the Volvo.

That's when I spotted – who else? – Bella, three cars down from us in her ancient red Chevy. Edward saw her too. He was eyeing her as she got in. When she noticed the still figure standing there, she reversed sharply, practically ramming into an old Toyota Corolla. As she sped off, Edward laughed hysterically.

"You really shouldn't scare her that way, Edward." I said sternly. The girl was already half scared to death from his previous behavior. Now she would think he was stalking her.

"But that would ruin all my fun, Alice." he said, playfully.

"I take it your hour with Bella went well," said Rosalie. She had quietly arrived next to us and was checking her reflection in the Volvo's mirror, classic Rosalie. She could never get enough of herself, and neither could many of the boys at Forks High, for that matter. I rolled my eyes.

"Yes, it did." said Edward, still suppressing laughter. "And Alice, you were right. She is rather different from other humans. She's quite fascinating."

Rosalie wheeled around, her blonde hair whipping through the air.

"What do you mean?" she demanded. She was obviously jealous that Edward could find someone who interested him more than her. Why couldn't she just be happy for him? The boy had been lonely for practically a century and had just found a nice person to pass the time with in Biology II for an hour every day. She could at least pretend to care. Okay, so maybe he was having a hard time restraining himself from murdering her and exposing our kind to the human world. Big deal. Besides, in Rosalie's world, the entire solar system revolved around her.

"Her comments and reactions were very different from any other human's. And she didn't seem to shy away from me; I didn't seem to scare her." he said simply. Wow. It still stunned me, hearing those words coming from him. Edward actually finding a human interesting. It was just so rare. More than rare, actually, it had never happened before.

"She couldn't have been _that _interesting. She's just a human." Rosalie scoffed. She spoke as if humans were much lower than her, like dogs, even. But then I realized something.

"Wait, Edward, aren't you totally breaking the rules here? I mean, we're supposed to stay as far away from humans as possible. It's not safe. What would Carlisle think?" I asked him.

"Exactly. Alice is right." said Rosalie, smugly. She couldn't care less whether I was right, in truth. She was just looking for some excuse so that Edward couldn't spend time with this human he found so interesting. Rosalie could really be horrible at times.

Edward looked sheepish, but then cold. He turned to face me.

"It's none of your business, Alice. I can do what I want. I may be breaking the rules here but I'm being careful. Besides, she just sits by me in Biology II. It's not as if I'm spending so much time with her. Carlisle will understand." he finished.

"We'll see about that," said Rose.

I put a hand on Edward.

"I'm sorry, Edward. I know." I told him.

"Can we go home now?" asked Jasper, who had also arrived with Emmett quietly.

"Yes," I said, smiling at him and taking his hand into mine. "Let's go home, Edward."

Edward needed no further instruction. As everyone slid into the car, he sped off doing 80. I was aware of how thoughtful he looked. I had a lot on my mind too. What did this mean that Bella Swan was interesting? How far would Edward go with this rule breaking? What would Carlisle say? What if something happened? But I didn't even want to think about the last part. I was just in a state of euphoria, hearing that Edward had finally found an exception to the theory of humans being more predictable than the clouds in Forks. For now, I was just happy to know that everything had worked out.

**A/N: Again, thanks for reading! Also, read my friend His Little Lamb's story, called My Happily Ever After! It's about Rosalie meeting Emmett when she saved him. Thanks guys!**


	4. Chapter 4: Instant Reaction

A/N: Thank you everybody for the reviews

**A/N: Thank you everybody for the reviews! It's really helpful. Again, a lot of the conversations between Bella and Edward are from the real Twilight in this chapter. But I couldn't find another way to make the storyline the same (although from Alice's POV) without changing what was actually said. So know that the dialogue is not mine, it's Stephenie Meyer's. Mine never quite sounds right to me.**

Chapter Four: Instant Reaction

Alice POV

On Tuesday morning, the roads looked deadly and uninviting, frozen over with the rain from the night before. I sympathized with all of the other Forks High School students. They didn't have Edward as their driver.

It was a quiet ride to school, but not uncomfortable. In our family, silence was natural. It wasn't awkward or ever strained. We didn't feel it was necessary to fill every moment up with talking. In fact, most times, we found constant chatter annoying to no end. That's why school could be hell sometimes. It was the home of drama, jabber, and stupidity. How ironic.

As we slowed to a halt, Edward lithely stepped out of the car and leaned on the back of the car. He closed his eyes, relaxing for the few moments he had before school started. I, too, stepped out and enjoyed the calm moment. Rose, Emmett, and Jasper started slowly walking across the parking lot.

It was at that moment when I had a horrible vision. Tyler Crowley's blue van was skidding uncontrollably across the frozen asphalt of the lot. It was heading straight for Bella Swan, who was standing at the exact spot by the corner of her truck that would cause her life to end. At human speed, she had no chance of escaping and her big, chocolate brown eyes were wide with terror, seeing the fate that awaited her. The vision ended and I cried out.

Edward's eyes shot open at that exact moment, having just heard a combination of my shriek and my vision in his head, warning him of what was coming. For the split second that I did see his eyes, they were filled with a mixture of pain, anguish, and then determination.

Before I could protest, he was flinging himself at Bella, four cars down, protecting her from the oncoming car. Her head hit the asphalt from the brute force as Edward covered Bella's body with his own, trying to act as a shield for her fragile, human body. The van had smashed into Bella's truck and was now spinning, uncontrollably in circles towards her _again_. Edward's hands were covering her again, protectively, and the van crashed straight into him from behind, leaving dent marks in the shape of his shoulders. He hardly seemed to notice, though, because the sudden stop of the front of the car caused the back of it to fly forward, about to crush Bella's legs. But Edward was quicker. With one hand, he lifted the under part of the van and with the other, he swung Bella's legs 1800 through the air so that they now faced a tan car, opposite her just a second before. Edward put the car down again with a loud protesting creak, and the windows popped, sending glass falling everywhere.

Screams from every direction filled my ears, but I didn't hear them. I was astonished. Had I just seen correctly? Of course I had, I had vampire eyesight. But how could Edward have just done that? In front of the whole school! This was definitely crossing the line. He had said how he was talking to her yesterday and how he wasn't going to follow our strict vampire rules anymore, but this?! What if someone had seen his blurred movements, saving Bella? The murmurs, screams, and shrieks had nothing to do with Edward saving her.

I overheard their conversation as Bella came to.

"Bella? Are you alright?" asked Edward. His voice was thick with worry and anxiety.

"I'm fine." she replied. As she said this, she tried to sit up but Edward wouldn't have that. He was still pinning her, protecting her from herself this time.

"Be careful. I think you hit your head pretty hard." he told her.

"Ow," she groaned, as if on cue.

"That's what I thought." and he was actually trying to keep from laughing, pressing his lips together. How could he find anything amusing at a time like this?

"How in the . . . how did you get here so fast?" she demanded. Edward was instantly stone, denying.

"I was standing right next to you, Bella," he said earnestly. Oh no! This was not good. Bella had seen him lift the car. There was no denying that. And she didn't look like she was about to give in either. I could hit something, I was so furious. If she jumped to conclusions or got suspicious at all, this wouldn't be good for the family. She might tell others and we'd have to move away again. This could not be happening.

Bella tried to sit up again, and this time, Edward got off of her. She gave him a long look, but didn't say anything.

I had been so absorbed in their conversation, I had completely forgotten my surroundings. People were now shouting instructions to call an ambulance and to get Tyler out of the van. He was still in there, I could smell blood coming from his open wounds from the crash. I held my breath.

Edward spoke again, and I was once again listening.

"Just stay put for now," he pleaded.

"But it's cold," she complained. I couldn't blame her. To any human, the ground would be freezing enough to numb you, here in Forks. Edward just laughed.

"You were over there," she suddenly said. "You were by your car." I internally kicked myself. She had seen him with us at the silver Volvo.

"No, I wasn't," he said sternly.

She wasn't giving up that easily. "I saw you." she said evenly.

"Bella, I was standing with you, and I pulled you out of the way." _Come on, Edward. You've got to convince her. We can't let her arouse suspicion,_ I thought. He had to hear that.

"No." she said, not allowing this.

"Please, Bella." Edward, come on! She can't know!

"Why?"

"Trust me," he said, softly. Ha! What reason did she have to trust him?

"Will you promise to explain everything to me later?" she asked.

"Fine." he said, impatiently. What?

"Fine." she repeated.

At this point, everyone was just trying to move the van away to get enough space for the stretchers to get to Bella. When they finally did, Edward dismissed his, while Bella tried to do the same. Of course, Edward had to tell them that she had slammed her head on the ground and shouldn't be walking around. Poor Bella. The whole school watched as she was carried off in a neck brace, while Edward slid into the front.

I turned around to survey the scene behind me. Students and faculty were crowded everywhere, sobbing and leaning on each other. Sirens from the wailing ambulance, faded into the distance as it slid off to the hospital. To Carlisle.

Then I noticed the three still-stunned figures watching, frozen in horror, after it. Rosalie was absolutely furious at Edward, and it showed. She obviously knew that Bella had seen Edward. Having any human in on our secret would kill Rosalie, she was too self-important. Emmett was stunned, although not as enraged. He was probably just dumbfounded as to why Edward even cared enough to save the girl, humans died all the time. In fact, wouldn't it even be easier for Edward, to not have the girl torturing him every day?

And Jasper looked utterly tormented. He was probably going through a million different emotions right now including pain, heartbreak, fear, anxiety, and fury. I wasn't surprised when I felt a dull wave of tranquility pass through me. I was grateful for that, though, since I needed to get my thoughts together.

It was crucial right now that Edward convince Bella that she had seen wrong at the crash, that what Edward had done was impossible. It would be hard for anybody to believe their own eyes after seeing that, for a human, anyway. How could Bella believe that Edward had just lifted a van off of her? But then again, she had looked so certain of what she had seen, so believing. It didn't look as if she was going to forget this soon.

I decided I had to go to the hospital to see what she was thinking and what Edward was saying. I ran off to the three figures, still standing there.

"Emmett, Rose, Jasper, I'm going to the hospital to see what she knows. Are you coming?"

Rosalie ignored my question. "How could he do this to us? Expose us like this?" she hissed.

"Rose," Emmett began and looked meaningfully at Jasper. A fresh wave of peace filled me up.

"Stop it!" Rosalie snapped at Jasper.

"Hey! Rose, calm down. We'll talk to Edward at the hospital and figure things out, okay?" I was trying to be the rational one here, since Rose had enough rage bubbling inside of her for all of us.

"Fine." she snapped, as she waltzed over to the silver Volvo, head held high.

"She'll come around." said Emmett.

"I hope so," I said quietly. With that, we all walked over to the car. The huge crowd of people was starting to disperse, riding off in their cars to the hospital, to check on Bella and Tyler Crowley. He hadn't looked so good.

I sped off, driving maniacally to Carlisle's work place. Rosalie was still irritated at us and furious with Edward. I knew she was going to be the difficult one. She was so tenacious, never letting things go.

As we arrived at the hospital, we all walked as quickly as possible, that could still pass for human. I was practically bouncing my way there, I was so anxious. I tried to calm down, for Jasper's sake.

I walked into the reception room, where it seemed most of the school was sitting, waiting to hear news about Bella. I took a seat, too. I could hear that Bella was awake, and so was Tyler Crowley, to her dismay. He was promising to make everything up to her and apologizing and torturing himself about the crash. For the millionth time in my head, I thought, _Poor Bella._

"How did you get out of the way so fast?" he asked. "You were there, and then you were gone . . . "

"Um . . . Edward pulled me out of the way." said Bella. She sounded unsure.

"Who?" he asked, puzzled.

"Edward Cullen – he was standing next to me." she said, uncomfortably. Oh, heaven, no. Don't tell him that!

"Cullen? I didn't see him . . . wow, it was all so fast, I guess. Is he okay?" Thank goodness he didn't see anything. Hopefully, Bella wouldn't say anything.

"I think so. He's here somewhere but they didn't make him use a stretcher." I suppressed a snort. If they _did_ make him use a stretcher, they'd fall over trying to carry him, not that he would ever need one. I imagine it would be somewhat like trying to carry a boulder on a stretcher.

With that, I heard them wheel Bella over to do some more tests on her head. When she came back, Tyler was back to making promises to her, miserably. She ignored him, the poor girl. Soon after, Edward stepped in to check on her.

"Is she sleeping?" he asked.

"Hey, Edward, I'm really sorry – " Tyler started.

"No blood, no foul," he said. I could hear the smile in his voice.

"So, what's the verdict?" he asked Bella.

"There's nothing wrong with me at all, but they won't let me go. How come you aren't strapped to a gurney like the rest of us?" she grumbled. I smiled, but tried to hide it. You could look pretty strange sometimes, being a vampire. To a human, I was just smiling for no apparent reason, while two students from Forks High were in pain from having just survived a car accident. I probably looked pretty crazy.

"It's all about who you know. But don't worry, I came to spring you."

Then I heard Carlisle's footsteps, and, soon after, I heard Bella's jaw audibly drop open. Yes, Carlisle tended to have that effect on people.

"So, Miss Swan, how are you feeling?" he asked.

"I'm fine," she said. She sounded as though she were tired of telling this to people so many times. Yes, I could imagine.

"Your X-rays look good. Does your head hurt? Edward said you hit it pretty hard."

"It's fine," she said again, sounding exasperated from the monotony of it all.

Carlisle seemed to be checking her head, feeling for sore spots. She must have grimaced.

"Tender?" he asked.

"Not really," she said. I heard Edward laughing quietly at her obvious lie.

"Well your father is in the waiting room – you can go home with him now. But come back if you feel dizzy or have trouble with your eyesight at all." he told her, meaningfully.

"Can't I go back to school?" she asked, obviously wanting to end all of the fuss.

"Maybe you should take it easy today." he said. Her hopes were in vain.

"Does _he_ get to go to school?" she asked, irritated, probably already knowing the answer. Edward always got his way.

"Someone has to spread the good news that we survived," he said, obviously pleased at her irritation. Edward was so cruel sometimes.

"Actually, most of the school seems to be in the waiting room." he told Bella.

"Oh no," she wailed. I was starting to see that Bella wasn't the type of girl that liked the spotlight to be on her.

"Do you want to stay?" asked Carlisle. Of course she didn't; who would want to stay in a hospital for longer than necessary?

"No, no!" she almost shouted, all too eager to leave. She tried to get up much too quickly and Carlisle had to catch her before she fell.

"I'm fine," she said once more.

"Take some Tylenol for the pain," he told her.

"It doesn't hurt that bad." she reassured him.

"It sounds like you were extremely lucky," said Carlisle.

"Lucky Edward happened to be standing next to me," she hinted. I had a feeling she said this to see what Carlisle's reaction would be to his son saving her.

"Oh, well, yes," he said, vaguely. This wasn't going to satisfy Bella. And his reaction might make her suspicious.

As he turned to Tyler to tell him he would need to stay longer, Bella turned to Edward. "Can I talk to you for a minute?" she said, irritated.

I heard Edward step back. "You're father is waiting for you," he said coldly.

"I'd like to speak with you alone, if you don't mind," she said, not ready to give up. This was the moment I'd been waiting for, to see how much she really knew. And to see how serious the situation was. If she knew too much, we'd have to leave. I really didn't _want_ to leave. I wasn't ready. This small, inconsequential town had to be the most boring, gloomy place I had ever been. It was never sunny, which allowed us to go outside. That was one of the biggest sacrifices I had unknowingly _not _made when I had become a vampire. Of course, the decision hadn't been mine. But I wished I could have more of the sun. I had been deprived of it for the last years of my human life. The point is, even though this puny little town was as far from my normal taste as utterly possible, I loved it. Of all the places I had lived throughout my vampire existence, this place felt most like home. I loved the people who all knew each other, the inescapable green covering every inch of the town limits, the overall simplicity of the town.

I also didn't truly believe that Bella Swan would really cause too much trouble for us. She seemed a lovely girl, and too quiet to start anything big. If I were human, I would have tried to make friends with her. There was something about her, something that pulled me to her. Much like she pulled Edward to her. Maybe it was just exactly that. The mystery of it all, Edward not being able to hear her thoughts. It made me want to talk to her, to get to know her. But then I realized something. Hadn't Edward said that he was breaking the rules now? Did that mean I could do the same? Maybe it wouldn't be so impossible to talk to her . . .

Edward's annoyed voice brought me back to reality.

"What do you want?"

"You owe me an explanation," she said, firmly.

"I saved your life – I don't owe you anything." Edward said.

"You promised." she pleaded.

"Bella, you hit your head, you don't know what you're talking about." he said, icily.

"There's nothing wrong with my head." I could tell she was getting mad at his denying an explanation.

"What do you want from me Bella?"

"I want to know the truth. I want to know why I'm lying for you." she said defiantly.

"What do you _think_ happened?" he said, in a tone of voice that said whatever she did think was wrong.

"All I know is that you weren't anywhere near me – Tyler didn't see you, either, so don't tell me I hit my head too hard. That van was going to crush us both – and it didn't, and your hands left dents in the side of it – and you left a dent in the other car, and you're not hurt at all – and the van should have smashed my legs, but you were holding it up . . ."

I was stunned. The girl was good. She was obviously more observant than any of us gave her credit for. That wasn't good. But Edward would just have to deny everything.

"You think I lifted a van off you?"

Bella must have nodded.

"Nobody will believe that, you know." I frowned. That remark implied that she wasn't totally wrong.

"I'm not going to tell anybody."

Edward sounded surprised. "Then why does it matter?"

"It matters to me. I don't like to lie – so there'd better be a good reason why I'm doing it."

"Can't you just thank me and get over it?" he said, exasperated.

"Thank you." she said angrily.

"You're not going to let it go, are you?"

"No."

"In that case. . . I hope you enjoy disappointment."

They both sounded absolutely furious. But I was also surprised. She wasn't going to tell anyone? Well, we would have to wait and see.

"Why did you even bother?" she asked.

"I don't know." It came out as a whisper. I softened at his response. He obviously cared for her more than he had ever cared for any other human. I could relate. Saving her must have been an instant reaction.

I could hear his footsteps leaving to the back of the hospital, towards the parking lot. I stood up, as did the other three. I had totally forgotten them while listening to their conversation. They must have been listening as well. Guiltily, I realized Jasper had been holding his breath the whole time. There must have been too much blood to smell in the hospital. We walked silently to the lots. Edward was there, leaning against the Volvo, his face twisted in agony. It was a mixture of pain, frustration, and fury. Leave it to Rosalie to make things worse.

"Edward! How dare you put us all at risk like that? How _could_ you! What if someone had seen? And that Swan girl _has_! What are you going to do about that, Edward? Huh?" she was right up in front of him, by the end of her little rant.

"Rosalie, please! This isn't helping us at all. I'm sure Edward feels bad enough. Just leave him alone." I shouted. Rose and Edward had really been going at each other lately.

"Fine!" she snapped, furiously.

Edward still hadn't said anything. He just silently slid into the Volvo and sped home. For once, the silence _was_ uncomfortable. Mostly because Rosalie was so enraged. Waves of fury rolled off of her and even Jasper couldn't do much about it.

I was searching the future for anything that showed that Bella might go and tell everyone what she had seen. She had _said_ she wouldn't say anything but, of course, I had to do some digging anyway. I found nothing. She just stuck to her usual agenda, never saying a word about the accident. When people asked for her first account of the story, she always said that Edward was the one that they should be talking to because he saved her. No one ever did. That just figures. But Bella kept quiet, in all of my visions. I was confident that this girl wouldn't destroy our lives. Any other human would have told everyone right away, had they been in Bella's shoes, especially after seeing that Edward didn't want that. She truly was different, as Edward said.

As soon as we got home, Rosalie had gotten out, slamming the door and was already inside, while I slowly got out. This was worse than usual. I was about to experience the worst fight ever between all of our family members.


	5. Chapter 5: Opposing Views

**A/N: Hey everybody! I'm soo sorry for not posting sooner; I've been so busy! But who really wants to hear me rant about my sorry excuses anyway? I'd like to say thanks to all the readers and for the reviews! You guys are awesome. So, without further ado, here's Chapter 5. Hope you enjoy it!**

Chapter Five: Opposing Views

Alice POV

I knew that what Edward had done today was going to have to be discussed. Rosalie obviously wasn't going to let this go and would probably use it as an excuse to move again. She was sick of Forks and hadn't made a secret of it. I wasn't surprised, though. If Rose could have it her way, she'd be in one of the biggest cities in the world, flaunting her looks on the streets and shopping all day long. I had to admit, the last part didn't sound at all that bad.

I thought I might as well take advantage of the chance to talk to Edward alone before he felt the real wrath of Rosalie when Carlisle and Esme got home. Not that no one could hear us.

I padded silently up the stairs, to Edward's room. "Edward?" I said to his door.

"Come in, Alice," he called. I slowly opened the door and took my usual spot in the middle of his floor.

"Edward, we need to talk." I started, carefully.

"Wait. Alice, let me explain. I don't know what came over me today. And I know what I did was unfair to all of you by exposing us all like that – I'm very sorry for that. I . . . I just couldn't let it happen, Alice. I saw her in your vision – and . . . I just couldn't stand there and watch her die like that. My head just said, 'No, not her'. And before I even thought about it, I was there saving her. Maybe, consciously, I didn't think I could smell her blood, if she were hit by that van, and not taste it. That might be why I acted so instinctively. I'm so, so sorry, Alice. I won't do anything like that again." he finished, in a rush. His eyes were tormented and his expression was pure agony. I was there next to him in a second, my arms around him.

"Shh. It's okay, Edward. I understand. You couldn't help it. I see that she does mean quite a lot to you already, even though you have just met her, and, well, the circumstances are a bit . . . inconvenient. But we'll talk it over with Carlisle tonight and see what happens." I soothed. It killed me to see my brother in such anguish. It was much like when Jasper felt close to the edge, surrounded by humans in school.

Edward looked deep into my eyes. "Thank you, Alice. I don't think you know how much I need you sometimes." he said, sincerely.

I said nothing. The truth was, I _did_ know how much he needed me. Being the only single one in the family, Edward was often very alone. I don't think anyone in our family knows quite how hard things are for him, it's hard to imagine. But Edward and I were exceptionally close, mostly because of the bond that had to be formed, with the powers we shared. Without me, I think it would be much harder for Edward to be around the others, surrounded by people – well, vampires – who had each other, while he had no one. I truly hoped that Edward would find someone that loved him, understood him, soon.

"I'll see you later, Edward." I told him. He simply nodded, lost in thought.

When Carlisle and Esme came home, they both looked very serious, which was unusual for them. I frowned. This was going to be hard.

"Rosalie? Emmett? Jasper? Alice? Edward?" he called, softly. Rose was already there, ready for the discussion, with Emmett close behind. Jasper came down next, and Edward reluctantly came down.

Everyone went to the living room. Carlisle stayed standing while the rest of us sat down on the couch.

"Now," began Carlisle, "I know that everyone has mixed feelings about what happened today," Edward grimaced. "But we have to discuss what we should do about this. I think we all know that Bella has had a taste of our powers today and knows there is something different about us. What she does know isn't for certain because, for some reason, Edward can't see her thoughts." finished Carlisle.

Rosalie immediately spoke up. "I think that it's time to move," she said, defiantly.

"I agree," said Emmett.

"Same here," said Jasper. I looked at him.

"I don't," I said. Everyone turned to me.

"Alice, it's obviously the right time. What if this Swan girl figures something out?" Rose said, sounding irritated at having spoken of her.

"Bella really doesn't seem the type to go and start something. I haven't had any visions of her telling anybody, either, so I really don't think she knows anything. I also think it would seem suspicious after the accident if we just up and left." I told everyone. Carlisle was considering, Esme was nodding, Edward looked grateful, Rose looked outraged, Jasper looked surprised, and Emmett was frowning. Wow, that was a first.

"Alice is right. I don't think we should leave yet. Bella would know we're hiding something if we just left. There's no need to make her even more suspicious." said Edward. I was looking at him, intently. Was this why Edward really wanted to stay? To stay inconspicuous? I had the feeling it was something more. But it was hard to guess why, and I didn't think he would be telling me.

"But shouldn't we play it safe?" asked Jasper. "I mean, just staying here is asking for it. The girl will figure something out sooner or later."

"I think so too. We've been here for a couple of years now and we'd have to move soon anyway." said Emmett.

"No. I'm not leaving because of this." said Edward through clenched teeth. This was going to turn into something. Definitely.

"This isn't fair! It's all Edward's fault and he has brought this on us! Why can't we just leave? It's a perfect time to go, and it would be so much easier to start from scratch now. After what he's done, I don't think he should have the say on what we should do!"

"Rose! Stop saying that about Edward! You know he doesn't deserve that! We _will_ leave eventually. You know that, we always do. So can't you just wait a little longer? Edward is choosing to do the right thing here, to clear this up by staying. If we just left, Edward wouldn't have to face her. It would be much easier on him, you know that, right? Haven't you considered that? He's choosing the hard way." I was almost shouting. Rose could just really do that to me sometimes. I felt bad because I knew this life was much harder for Rosalie, and this wasn't helping. I would need to talk to her later.

"Rose, really. This is the best way. I _will_ make it better." said Edward fiercely.

"How can you be so certain? What if you make it _worse_?! It's not safe for us here! She _will_ find out eventually. It's bound to happen! I just can't believe that you would do this in the first place! How _could_ you? I mean, if someone saw, we'd already be exposed! Do you have any idea how _lucky_ you were, Edward? And what's next? Will you be stepping into the sunlight any time soon? How can we trust you after you do something like that?" Rose was screaming.

Emmett jumped in. "Rose, calm down. But I mean, Edward, man, she's right. We were really lucky today and what if next time, we're not that lucky? What if next time, someone sees you and – "

"There _will be no next time!_" Edward shouted at him.

"How can you know that?" asked Jasper. "You didn't seem to think about it today. It happened before anyone realized. It _could_ happen again, Edward. You need to accept that. Because you aren't just putting yourself and this girl in danger here. All of us are involved here and if it happens again, we could be in serious danger." Jasper was trying to be the calm, rational one here, but it was practically impossible with all the yelling going on in here.

At this, I needed to step in. "This isn't going to happen again, guys. Honestly, don't you have faith in Edward? He's obviously learned from this and he will control it."

"But how are we supposed to trust him after that stunt today? How do we know?" snapped Rosalie.

"You don't _trust_ me after this?" said Edward, incredulously.

"How can I?" she shouted.

"Look it's not that we don't trust you, Edward. Really, you're my brother. But we just don't think it's safe anymore. You've got to think about the girl too. If she figured something out, what could we do? I mean, we couldn't trust her. We've just got to face the facts here. What if that really happened?" said Emmett.

Rosalie just glowered, angrily. Emmett tried to comfort her by putting a hand on her shoulder, but she shook it off.

"Carlisle, I know it would be best if Edward fixed things with Bella, but what if he can't? What if she is still suspicious? We'd still have to leave." said Jasper.

"Yes, Jasper, you're right, you do have a point. Do you really think you could make this go away Edward?" Carlisle asked.

"Of course." said Edward, quickly.

"Everything will work out in the end, you guys. Really, remember, I'm the psychic here. I would know if Bella planned to do something that would threaten us.

"And if she made the decision, unexpectedly, what would you do, Alice? Huh? You're ability couldn't help you there!" said Rosalie, angrily.

"Well, that's not going to happen," I said confidently.

"Sure!" she snapped.

"Would the five of you please calm down?" asked Carlisle. At this, everyone, still fuming, made an effort to stop screaming. "Now, we've looked at our options. Obviously, we have some disagreement. Alice and Edward want to stay while Jasper, Rosalie, and Emmett feel it's time to move on. I can see where all of you are coming from, really, I can. However . . . I do agree with Edward and Alice. I think we should just wait and see, things haven't gone bad yet. And I really don't want to move unnecessarily. As Alice said before, the girl would become suspicious if we just left after all this."

Rosalie was outraged at Carlisle taking our side. She knew that Carlisle's word was the final word. But she also knew when she was out of line, and talking back to Carlisle definitely was. She kept her mouth shut.

Emmett and Jasper, although unhappy with the decision made, accepted it. Edward still looked grim; he had probably known during all the shouting, from Carlisle's thoughts, that he would side with us in the end.

Then Esme spoke. "Girls," she said, looking over at Rosalie and I, "Boys," she said, looking at Jasper, Emmett, and Edward, "Please, stop fighting. I think that Edward should do what he needs to do to get things straight with Bella, now that we've chosen to stay. Trust him," she said, pausing to look at Rosalie, meaningfully, "and Alice too. She knows that things will work out." With that, she hugged each of us, kissing Rose and I on the forehead.

That had been the worst fight we had ever had. I was glad it was over. Never had we gotten so mad and disagreed so strongly. I wondered what was up with Rosalie, she had been so off these past couple weeks.

Everyone went to their own rooms for a little while to cool off. Carlisle and Esme went off to talk, quietly about everything. In my room, I searched the future again, looking for any signs that Bella would change her mind and tell everyone about her encounter. She never did.

After a couple of hours, I decided I needed to sort things with Rosalie out. I needed to apologize, and so did she.

I walked over to her room and knocked quietly.

"Come on in, Alice," Rosalie's voice came from behind the door. She sounded much calmer and almost timid. That was a first.

I walked in, carefully. "Rose, I really need to apologize for –"

"No, of course you don't, Alice. I shouldn't have acted that way. I'm ashamed of my behavior towards you, and especially to Edward. Things have just been . . . hard . . . for me. Having this human girl in Edward's life just . . . it brings back a lot, you know? And, it's really no excuse but – oh, Alice, I'm so sorry!" she said, running to me and pulling me into a hug. Dry, heaving sobs escaped her mouth.

"Oh, Rose. Shh, everything's fine. Everything will be fine." I repeated over and over. I put my arm around her and gently rocked her, back and forth. I grieved with her because she had let the memories overtake her, because I understood her pain. That was just Rosalie, her past would always be a part of her and she would never stop carrying it with her.

Things with Edward were already worked out, between them. Edward had heard her thoughts about her past and how much it hurt her. He had instantly understood. She had apologized to him and told him she didn't mean it, she did trust him. He didn't need to read her mind to know she really meant it. I suppose it just took a load off of Rosalie's shoulders, knowing things were better between her, Edward, and I. She needed us. We knew it.

It took a long time for Rosalie to be okay again, though. But when she did, she went to go be with Emmett. I could understand that, too. Emmett was the best thing she had gotten out of becoming a vampire, a million times better than her old life. She loved him with all her nonexistent heart, but even so, tenacious as she was, she wished with all she had that things could have worked out in her human life. That's why she needed to be with Emmett, to remind her that she _had_ gotten her happily ever after, just in a different form.


	6. Chapter 6: Misery

**A/N: Hey guys! Once again, sorry for the long wait. I know this chapter is still kind of depressing (well, we all know Edward's life before Bella so it's no surprise), but you know the story line so it'll get happier soon. Here's Chapter 6!**

Chapter Six: Misery

Alice POV

By the next morning, everything was worked out between everyone again. Rose was feeling better and had now accepted the fact that we would be staying for a little while. We drove to school as usual in the silver Volvo. As we arrived, we all got out and I took Jasper's hand. Things had been so chaotic throughout the past couple of weeks, that we hadn't gotten much time to spend together. We walked slowly to our first classes.

"So, what do you think Edward's plan is on the Bella situation?" he inquired. He seemed light again today, probably happy that things were working out after last night.

"Hmm. . . ." I said, and that's when I scanned the future to see. I saw Edward in Mr. Banner's class, sitting as far away as possible from Bella, who was sitting right next to him. He looked as if he were concentrating. Bella looked somewhat hurt that Edward wasn't speaking to her.

My vision ended and Jasper was waiting, patiently, for the far-away look in my eyes to disappear.

"He's just going to ignore her for a while, and knowing him, he'll be reading the minds of everyone she talks to, to see if she tells anybody about the incident. He never takes my word for it, even though I'm the psychic here." I scowled. That was just Edward, always having to make sure for himself, always going overboard.

Jasper snorted and I looked at him. He was looking at me with his eyebrows raised. "So that's his big plan to get this all cleared up? Ignore her?"

"Well, what did you expect him to do? Make a deal with her to not say a thing?" I asked. "Hopefully, she'll just go along and understand that they can't be friends."

"We'll see about that," Jasper chuckled. I leaned on his shoulder. I wished we could just stay like this forever, without any cares. As if it had heard my thoughts, the first bell rang irritatingly.

"Ugh," I groaned.

Jasper chuckled again. "Come on, sweetheart. We've got places to be, things to learn!" he said, with false enthusiasm. And with that, we headed off to our first class together.

Unsurprisingly, the entire Forks High population was waiting to get Bella's first hand account of her near-death experience. I could just tell that Bella was not the type of girl to enjoy having the spotlight on her. She was tired of the monotony of having to explain the same story over and over to her ever-curious classmates. But at least, no one asked Edward anything. Because a few times, Bella had tried to explain that Edward was the lifesaver and he should have been the one getting all the fame. When it came up, though, no one ever recalled having seen Edward anywhere near the accident until it had actually happened, to my huge relief. It was definitely not a surprise though, that no one went near Edward to ask him. Who would want to go near the notoriously serious Cullens? They wouldn't dare. But Bella never said anything about the truly amazing thing she had witnessed: a vampire using his powers to save her. That was the mind-boggling part.

At lunch, Edward looked very unhappy. All he did was stare at a wall, a distant look in his eye. He had that frustrated look on his face again. I was really getting tired of that look. He was trying to read Bella Swan's mind again, with no success, apparently.

I could understand his curiosity, though. She _still_ hadn't told anyone about the accident. Why was that? She was such a peculiar human; I, too, wished I could get a look inside of her head. It wasn't just that Edward couldn't read her mind. It was also the fact that she was so drawn to us, something no other human had ever showed. I suppose we were just too intimidating in too many ways. There was the obvious, the inhuman beauty that no human could compete with. There were the perfect four-point-oh's all five of us had, which were almost hard _not_ to get after so many years of learning the same things. There was the fact that we always accompanied each other, and together, it was just that much harder for anyone else to approach us. Or maybe it was something not visible to others, our confidence, maybe. The way we carried ourselves.

Regardless, Bella seemed to look past all of this, not seeming afraid of us whatsoever. That was the most intriguing of all, her inhuman bravery and curiosity. What I wouldn't give to get a closer look at, to see the reasoning behind it.

I turned to Jasper, sitting on my right. He gazed serenely into my eyes. He had gone hunting early this morning and, therefore, was having a much easier time with himself today. I smiled at him.

"Feeling better?" I asked, cheerfully.

"Much." he said, sliding his arm around my waist as I leaned into his shoulder.

For the rest of lunch, Jasper and I talked cheerfully. I tried not to let Edward's mood faze me; I was trying to enjoy the moment. However, I couldn't get past the nagging feeling that Edward was sadder than he let on. Obviously, Bella meant a lot to him already. She was the one being he had come across in almost a century that interested him. And to have her taken away from his grasp after just a few days of knowing her? How awful! I could hardly imagine. In fact, the way he sometimes looked at her made me think he might even like her as more than just a companion. . . . but no. I pushed that thought out of my mind immediately. It was out of the question, altogether impossible for a vampire to be with a human! _Especially_ given the situation at hand. Her scent was just as potent to him as that first day he had first caught a whiff of her. From the look on his face in the vision I had had this morning, his internal war with himself was still ongoing. Well, it couldn't be expected for an intensity of that type to fade. He would always thirst for her blood, always. So no, it couldn't happen. It was just too difficult on so many levels. But, oh, how the six of us wished he could find the one true vampire he belonged with. To end the search that he didn't even know he was on for the one that would completely understand him, accept him. Would she ever find him? We all hoped so. Looking into his eyes, you could see the loneliness and emptiness he probably wasn't even truly aware of. To the full extent anyway.

I did the one thing nobody in the family knew I did. I searched the future thoroughly for a sign that said Edward would find that girl. Of course, I found nothing. It was just something I did whenever I thought about Edward and his loneliness. It never changed, I could never find anything. It was almost something I did absentmindedly. Nobody else knew how I searched for him. And I was grateful for that. I didn't want to have to tell them – especially Edward – that I never found anything.

Jasper noticed the familiar faraway look in my eyes. As always.

"What were you looking for?" he asked, curiously. Amazing. He could even tell the difference between when I had a vision without warning, and when I was looking for something. I loved him for it.

"Oh, nothing," I smiled, sadly, although trying to stay cheerful, not wanting to ruin the mood. Usually, it was easy for me to stay cheerful around my family. The rest of them wondered how I could possibly manage to always see things so positively. I didn't see anything so unusual about it. That was just me. It was my nature. I suspected it had something to do with my past, although, because I didn't remember anything of it, it wasn't something I could easily explain. Some part of me knew that my past was dark. It wasn't a happy thing. I could just feel it. Wouldn't I have remembered _something_ of my past if it had had something happy in it? I thought I would. So maybe, the part of me that felt the sadness in my previous life knew that my life now was much better and, unconsciously, rejoiced at this, making me a much more positive person. Yes, maybe that was it. Although I knew that if that was the case, the happiness was only added to my already positive view of the world. And besides, even if my human life had been happy, it wouldn't really make a difference. I loved my life now, with my family and my Jasper. Really, what was there _not_ to be happy about? All of it was very complicated, except for maybe the last part, so I didn't expect anyone to really understand it all. Well, with one exception, which was Edward, who could probably see my reasoning, but to me, it always sort of fit.

Jasper studied my expression for a moment, then shrugged. He knew I would share everything with him, so it couldn't have been a big deal. If he only knew what hope I was searching for every time I looked at Edward's lone future.

The rest of the day went by much like any other. Edward didn't speak to Bella in Biology II, staying as far away from her as possible as I had seen. I felt a little sad for her. She obviously liked Edward too, most likely just another one of those common infatuations with one of the Cullens. How typical. I had expected more of her. But then again, I couldn't know that for sure.

During the drive home, Edward was quiet, lost in thought. Rosalie and Emmett were talking and Rose kept stealing glances at Edward. She knew he had decided not to interfere with her anymore and was happy, but she didn't try to act smug about it. I was glad that she wasn't making this hard for him. That wasn't necessary, it was hard enough. But Rosalie was probably just happy that we could move on, get this human out of our lives. I supposed she could see a great deal of her previous human life in Bella's. Bella was a girl who got a lot of attention (not that it was wanted in her case), who was searching for happiness, and who had many opportunities open to her; all the things that Rosalie had had. The things that had meant everything to her in her human life, that had been taken away from her. It must have been a relief to her, knowing that this was over. She could do her best to forget it and move on, though Rosalie wasn't known for her ability to let things go.

I sighed and stared out the window at the bright green trees passing by, every leaf, every speck of moss, every drop of rain crystal clear though they should have been a blur at Edward's speed. Why did things have to be the way they were for Edward? Why did he have to suffer? Sometimes I thought about how unfair it was that we – Jasper, Rosalie, Emmett, and myself – got it so easily. Even more so for me; with my enhanced abilities, I saw Jasper in the future, what I felt for him and I knew when I finally saw him that he was the one. Rosalie wasn't alone for very long before she met Emmett. And Edward? It had been almost a century, and he was still alone. It didn't seem right that he had to endure so many years of loneliness. Sometimes I wondered if the others worried as much about Edward as I did. Or even if Edward thought about finding the right one for him as much as I did. I really had to stop this. It wasn't as if I could control anything by worrying so much. It was out of my power.

As the days passed, Edward did not come out of his gloomy state. He wasn't speaking much and he just seemed so . . . lifeless. It pained me – and the others, I'm sure – to see him so unhappy. I was often angry that Bella Swan had to be the cause of all this. If she had never come here, Edward wouldn't have had to ignore her and be so sad. Jasper knew it too and spoke to me one morning before school as we were walking to class.

"Alice, I need to talk to you about Edward," he started. His expression was worried.

"I know, Jasper. I'm not happy about how he is." I told him.

"Well, I can feel what he's been feeling lately. I'm afraid it's worse than he lets on. He is absolutely miserable and I'm definitely starting to think he cares a lot more about Bella Swan than we know. I don't know in what way, but I want it to stop. Edward's been suffering enough, with him being the only single one in this family. It's not fair to him." he said sadly. He had a far off look in his eye and I wondered if he, too, was thinking about whether Edward would soon find that girl that was made for him.

"I think so too. I thought maybe this wasn't going to be too bad for Edward, but I'm starting to wonder if it wasn't the right decision to let him just ignore her. Could there have been another way for her not to know too much about us while still allowing Edward to speak to her?" I thought aloud.

"I'm honestly not sure. But I can't take this misery much longer; I want it to stop." he stated unhappily.

"Oh, Jasper. It'll all work out, I'm sure it will. We'll find some way to make Edward okay again." I said, trying to sound cheerful. I put an arm around his waist, trying to comfort him. It must be hard, being Jasper. Always having to suffer with others, which was starting to occur quite often in Edward's case.

"I know it will, Alice. I'm just so worried about Edward. People – well, vampires – aren't supposed to suffer like this so long. It's been almost a century since Edward was created, and he's still just as lonely as he was the first day he was a vampire." he sighed.

"Wow," I said quietly.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Well, I was starting to think I was the only one who was so worried about Edward. Apparently, I was wrong. And that doesn't happen very often, you know." I looked up at him.

He smiled. "Yes, I know that, my dear. And I also know that we aren't the only ones who feel that way. The others worry about him too. Particularly Esme," he added.

"I figured as much. Well, I know something else, too." I said with a smile.

"Oh? And what is that?" he asked, eyes playful.

"The bell is going to ring in four seconds and we better get a move on." As if on cue, the trill of the school bell rang out, just like in the vision I had had seconds before.

Jasper smiled and pulled me along to our first class together. I looked at the one I loved so dearly, and, in that moment, was grateful that I had found him.


	7. Chapter 7: Breakthrough

Chapter Seven: Breakthrough

Alice POV

**A/N: Hey everyone! Well, I promised you a happier chapter, didn't I? I'm soo sorry it took so long. But I'm almost done with Chapter Eight, so that'll come soon. There's another scene in this chapter where I took the dialogue out of Twilight. It was a pretty important conversation, I thought, so I put it into one of Alice's visions.**

Edward continued his miserable state. And now I was really getting impatient for this to end. Not only was Edward causing the pain in our whole family – to my dismay I found that Esme now had a pained expression permanently plastered on her face – but now, he was making my Jasper suffer with him. It needed to stop. Soon.

I was thinking about all of this as I sat in class, bored and staring off into space. At that moment, I had a vision. To any other person, I probably looked normal, maybe daydreaming, and no one else would have noticed a thing. But someone who really knew me would see the flicker in my eyes, followed by a far off look. It had nothing to do with daydreaming.

I had mixed feelings about the pictures that played before me. It was Bella, once more, in her Biology II class. Mike Newton – a boy that was fairly okay looking by human standards, but who had an undesirably clingy disposition – was asking Bella to the spring dance. He looked very uncomfortable and unsure, mostly due to the fact that Edward was sitting right next to Bella, watching her every reaction, at a loss as to what was going on in that mind of hers. Mike seemed to notice this too. I couldn't be sure how Bella would react, as it was her decision. I would have to wait and see.

I was happy for Bella. It was quite a relief for me. If Bella said yes to Mike – and she had no reason not to – it would mean closure. Any other girl probably would say yes to him – that would mean Edward would have no choice but to move on. Seeing her happy with another boy would show Edward that nothing could ever happen there, and it would lead to a faster road to normality for him. The sooner he was himself again, the better.

But there was also an unexpected wave of sorrow that overcame me. I realized exactly where it had come from and I scolded myself for it. Somewhere deep within me, I must have still been holding on to a last shred of hope that Edward would find his soul mate soon. Bella Swan had been the closest he had ever been to showing an interest in anyone. But what had I been thinking? That she was the one for him? Certainly not. It wasn't how these things were supposed to go. It just wasn't right! But no matter how much I tried to deny it, I knew I couldn't; Bella Swan had been my last hope. I mentally kicked myself for it because I knew that hope was a wasted effort, and I couldn't put fate into the hands of a human girl.

I walked to lunch slowly, searching for all the possible ways that Bella could react to Mike's question. There weren't that many possibilities, but I kept an open mind.

As I walked into the lunchroom, I quickly skipped off to Jasper's side, where I belonged. Edward was as gloomy as ever, and pain hit me square in the chest as I realized that he was most likely about to endure a whole new level of hurt.

His eyes locked on mine faster than lightning. Oops.

A low hiss escaped his lips as understanding hit. Mike Newton wasn't even a guy he _liked._ I didn't really blame him there.

_Edward, I'm so sorry,_ I thought to him. He looked down.

"Don't be ridiculous, Alice. It's not _your_ fault." he muttered. His tone made it clear whose fault it was.

Jasper, who had been quietly listening to us, looked up. I could see the confusion in his eyes as he tried to make sense of the new emotions he felt radiating off of the two of us.

"I had a vision," I said under my breath, "of Mike Newton asking Bella to the spring dance." Jasper's expression was instantly sympathetic.

"Mike Newton?" scoffed Emmett, "You seriously think she'll say yes to that guy? There's no way!" He was grinning, confidently. "Edward, man, don't even worry about it."

"Well, it doesn't make a difference either way, does it now?" said Rosalie quietly, staring at Edward intently, who was avoiding her gaze. She was trying to remind him that he was supposed to forget Bella.

"We'll see how things turn out," I said, patting Edward's hand, trying to be optimistic. After all, my vision wasn't even complete yet. It wasn't definite. But I was slightly caught in the middle in this situation. Rose was right, he was supposed to let Bella go. But I couldn't just agree with her because I was also secretly and desperately wishing it wasn't that way. Though, of course, it was an impossible and vain hope. It would never come true.

The bell rang and I quickly went off to my next class, but not before stealing a quick glance in Edward's direction. His face was blank and lifeless. I sighed. I hated it when I had to wait for these types of decisions; I felt so helpless.

As I arrived in my next class, I quickly went to my seat and impatiently bounced up and down, too quickly for human eyes to catch. I drummed my fingers swiftly and waited. The minutes seemed to go by as slowly as centuries as I waited for the second bell to ring, the start of class. By then, Edward, Mike, and Bella had to already be there.

And it finally happened. Mid-bounce, the room disappeared, melting into Mr. Banner's homey little Biology II class. Once again, I saw Mike Newton looking embarrassed, fidgeting a bit as he asked Bella to the spring dance. But this time, his face was also slightly crestfallen, and I could now clearly see Bella's face. It was sympathetic and guilty, for she had obviously just turned Mike down. Her excuse was a trip to Seattle, although it was obvious that that was just made up on the spot. Edward's face was shocked, and as Mike shuffled away, he stared intently at Bella. He looked as if he was trying to figure her out, see through her. Bella looked up at his eyes and did not look away. Their eyes locked for an immeasurable moment, and did not look as if they were willing to leave. Neither of their stares were filled with embarrassment at being caught – it was just so . . . intense. Like they were both seeing each other in a whole new way.

The vision ended as Edward was forced to break his eyes away from Bella when Mr. Banner asked him a question. What horrid timing the man had. Couldn't he see that a real moment was happening that was much more important than his lesson? One that could change everything? Clearly, he did not.

But this simply changed everything! Bella had said _no_ to Mike. What did that mean? Was it because of Edward? Or had I been wrong about her Seattle plan, that she had made it up as an excuse to get out of the spring dance? It was all incredibly frustrating. I had the strongest urge to march out of that room to Biology II, and demand to know what Bella felt for Edward. But I didn't even know _Edward's_ feelings for her. It was all so impossible.

The rest of the class was pointless, not that it usually wasn't. I couldn't even remember what the lesson was about, though. I was much too busy trying to figure out my feelings about the situation. It was very obvious that Bella Swan was interested in Edward, something very unusual for a human. After the first couple of weeks following the car accident, I hadn't only noticed the way Edward acted; I saw Bella too. As she sat in Mr. Banner's classroom every day, she tried her best not to notice him. She tried to ignore him and the fact that he sat next to her, an arm's length away. I could see, though, that Edward's behavior towards her was harder for her to deal with than anyone could see. She was hurt, and he couldn't comfort her.

She had even tried to talk to him once, greeting him curtly and politely, to which she had gotten the smallest of nods (without any eye contact, mind you) as a brilliant response. Honestly, Edward was taking this to extremes. My personal opinion of the whole thing was that Edward should do what he wanted. He may not have had the cleanest of records of the seven of us, but I trusted him. I probably trusted him more than he trusted himself. And I would always be watching near him to see if the future suddenly turned ghastly. Then I would be all too quick to drag him away. But still, even given the intensity of the lure of Bella's blood, I knew he already cared too much for her. I didn't know what type of caring it was exactly, but I saw the way he looked at her. That day they talked for the first time, his eyes were filled with joy. For once, what the next day held in store for him was a mystery (well, that was if he didn't read my mind) because Bella obviously didn't do what he expected. She was spontaneous, I could understand why he was drawn to her. His happiness that she caused was something I knew his family couldn't give him in the way that he needed. We kept him happy enough to make his eternal life worth while; we kept him happy enough where his loneliness was almost covered up, although never perfectly; we kept him happy enough to keep Jasper sane. But his life wasn't complete until he found someone who was to him what Jasper was to me. I had to admit, that was not easily found. Life – well, existence – was pretty much pointless without Jasper.

Towards the end of class, as I sat thinking this, I had another vision.

_"Bella?" asked Edward, staring at her. She seemed to have trouble with herself. She turned her body slowly towards him. He continued looking at her._

_"What? Are you speaking to me again?" she asked sourly. _

_He looked amused, but held his composure. "No, not really,"_

_He was obviously getting to her. She closed her eyes, taking deep breaths to calm herself. "Then what do you want, Edward?" she asked, straining to keep her voice polite, eyes still closed._

_Edward's expression changed as he saw the pain he was causing her. His brow furrowed slightly. "I'm sorry. I'm being very rude, I know. But it's better this way, really."_

_Bella's eyes shot open at his tone to take in his expression, all traces of amusement gone. "I don't know what you mean," she replied._

_"It's better if we're not friends. Trust me."_

_"It's too bad you didn't figure that out earlier. You could have saved yourself all this regret." She was seething now._

_Edward's expression changed once more. It was confused and his tone was colored with it._

_"Regret? Regret for what?" He was disbelieving._

_"For not just letting that stupid van squish me." she said, as if it were obvious._

_Edward was stunned at her response. He was plainly angry now at what she thought. "You think I regret saving your life?"_

_"I _know_ you do," she sounded just as mad._

_"You don't know anything." he shot at her._

_Bella turned around and headed for the door. She was about to cross the doorway when she tripped on the threshold, sending her books scattered on the floor. She looked as if she was debating actually picking them up, but she sighed and reached for them. Edward had already bent down and stacked them into a neat pile in one swift movement. He handed them to her, still annoyed._

_"Thank you," she said coldly._

_"You're welcome," he countered. She walked off to her next class, still agitated._

The colors in the hallway of the vision swirled as Bella walked farther away until I realized I was still sitting in my seat while the rest of the class was packing their bags. I quickly, but mechanically, gathered my own books as I sorted through my thoughts, still stunned myself.

Bella thought Edward _regretted_ saving her from Tyler's van? What was she thinking? She couldn't be more wrong! Did she not see the miserable state he was in? Apparently not. But she didn't know him, I reasoned. She couldn't know his actions to match his behavior. Only his family could know Edward that well. But honestly! If she only knew the pain it caused him to stay away from her.

My body moved on auto-pilot as the bell rang for the final class of the day. I was a million miles away from the hurried students, pushing their way through the crowded hallway. I just couldn't stop thinking about Edward and Bella. They swirled in a mindless jumble in my head. Even through the next class, my mind was still disjointed from my body, moving without my direction.

But Bella's words had only confirmed my suspicions. She did a pretty good job of covering her pain, but I saw it. Whether it was because she had feelings for him (Which on one hand could be entirely possible, as most girls in the school did. It could also be entirely absurd, given the fact that Bella had caught a glimpse of Edward's abilities. What kind of person _wouldn't_ think we were freaks after that?) or just because she was offended by his behavior, she was in absolute distress.

After the final bell rang, I finally made sense of what I was doing and hurried to the parking lot, bouncing on the balls of my feet with anticipation. At the edge of the sidewalk, I waited as I spotted Rosalie, Emmett, and Jasper making their way towards me. Emmett and Jasper were talking about some bet they had made as Rosalie rolled her eyes at them.

"Men," she muttered.

I laughed. I started walking next to Rose as we made our way towards the first row of cars. My laugh cut off short as I zeroed in on Bella, by her ancient Chevy as Eric walked in our general direction, towards the school. She had that same guilty face she did this afternoon when she was with Mike . . .

Oh. Another one? Wasn't this dance supposed to be the girls' choice in dates? Apparently, the boys here weren't going to pay attention to that.

I wasn't the only one who noticed what had just happened. "Huh, Bella Swan's crushed poor Eric's hopes." Rosalie snickered.

"Actually, that's the second one today," I told her.

"Really," she said faintly, staring off towards Bella. Then I heard a chuckle. I knew that chuckle. I could spot it anywhere. It was Edward's. He was walking towards the Volvo, straight forward, lips pressed together. How cruel he was to Bella. As if ignoring her for weeks on end wasn't enough, he also needed to make fun of her. Poor Bella.

Bella had noticed Edward too and was scowling. Annoyed, she opened the truck door of her ancient Chevy, got in, and slammed it closed. Shoving the keys into the ignition, she reversed sharply.

Edward, however, must have been feeling cheerful. He easily slid out of his space in the Volvo and reversed smoothly. He stayed right where he was there, in front of Bella, and glanced at the four of us, getting closer to him.

Suddenly, I had a vision. It was Tyler Crowley, getting out of the Sentra he had gotten to replace his van. He was heading straight towards Bella, still in her truck, waiting for us to reach Edward. Edward was watching through his rearview mirror, a look of extreme amusement on his face.

I came back to reality, only to watch it over again. As Bella, impatient and annoyed, glared at the back of the Volvo, Tyler got out of his car. He left it running as he walked up to Bella's truck and knocked on the window. Startled, she rolled down the window and looked apologetic.

I watched her face as it changed into different expressions with each word Tyler said. From apologetic, it turned to a look of disbelief and horror as Tyler explained something and smiled along cheerfully. Then it changed to annoyance, tinted with the faintest trace of anger. Tyler said something and she looked apologetic again, but still annoyed.

By that time, Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper, and I had reached the Volvo. We all got into the car in one movement, and I caught a glimpse of Edward's expression in the rearview mirror. He was looking past me towards Bella, in total hysterics.

Then, we were speeding out of the parking lot, away from Forks High.

"Well, that was nice of you, Edward," I said sternly, although, I had to admit, the look on Bella's face was priceless.

"I'm sorry Alice, but you know it too. Her expression _was_ priceless," he said, still chuckling. "And Tyler needs his chance too, since the line is starting to form out her door."

"Huh. I can't believe she turned down _three_ guys today!" I said, still in disbelief. Obviously, she could get any date she wanted in the school. Why would she just not go?

"_Three!_" said Rosalie, whipping her head about. She was clearly outraged at this fact. Any person who could get that much attention was bound to get a response like that out of Rose. But, really, what did it matter, considering she was already taken?

"Aw, don't be like that Rose. You've got _me_." Emmett said, teasing her. He leaned into her, a goofy smile on his face. She shoved him away, whacking him on the shoulder and rolling her eyes. He only chuckled and put an arm around her, regardless.

"Cut it out, you two." I said, looking back at them, shaking my head.

"Why do you think she turned them all down?" asked Jasper thoughtfully. "Everyone goes to the spring dance."

Emmett snorted. "Have you seen that girl's coordination? Or lack of, I should say. I've witnessed her trip in the hallways at least five times before! Unleashing her onto a dance floor would be a deadly hazard." he said matter-of-factly.

"I agree," said Edward, grinning.

I turned to Rosalie. We exchanged a meaningful look and nodded. Our hands smacked the two of their shoulders at exactly the same time. Their following exclaims of "Hey!" were identical and in unison.

"That's what you get!" I crowed at them. "Don't be mean,"

"And Edward, is this your brilliant plan?" asked Rosalie exasperatedly. All four of us knew where the conversation had suddenly veered. Her tone wasn't quite angry, more agitated.

Edward's expression immediately shifted. It was contorted in pain and anger. He glared at Rosalie. But then the atmosphere changed and a wave of calm washed over me. I glanced at Jasper, a grateful look on my face. He gave me a small smile.

Rosalie glowered, though it wasn't as forceful with the new calm. Leave it to her to ruin the first happy moment we had all shared together in the last half dozen weeks. "Rose," I said quietly, closing my eyes, "I think we all know that he's tried his best to make things better . . . and it hasn't worked out." We all knew I was referring to Edward's depressed behavior following the weeks after the accident.

Rosalie sighed dramatically, looking out her passenger window at the blur of green passing us. She knew this too, and said no more.

Edward was quiet, but he still looked as if he were in pain. Everyone was probably thinking of the past few weeks, which couldn't be easy for him. Who wanted to hear that everyone knew the pain you so desperately tried to hide?

Edward's eyes flashed towards me in the mirror. _Sorry,_ I thought to him. He looked away again.

I sighed. Things had changed so much since Bella's arrival in Forks. I now found myself playing facilitator between the five of us much too often for my liking. Wasn't this Jasper's job? I thought exasperatedly. But then I regretted even thinking it. Jasper had enough on his mind as it was. It wasn't his responsibility to handle everything having to do with emotions.

That night, I sat on the couch in my room, thinking about the whole day. It was official: Bella Swan was not ordinary. What kind of human didn't go to the spring dance? Especially when you already had boys chasing after you to be their dates. Was it her clumsiness, as Emmett said? Or was it something else entirely? How frustrating it was that Edward couldn't read her mind! Why, of all people, did the one exception to Edward's uncanny ability have to be Bella? I wanted so much to be able to take a look inside her mind, to see the workings of this interesting human. But that made me sound like some sort of mad scientist, I thought, amused.

That was when I had a vision. The pictures displayed before my eyes puzzled me. They made no sense. It was Edward sitting on the roof of Bella Swan's quaint little house in the dead of night. All of the lights were off in the house, and only the stars speckled across the sky provided any light. But in that light, he was illuminated with his paler-than-pale skin in the eerie midnight glow. His features would look even more unearthly than usual to a human, for, even to me, he looked ghostly, seeming to have as much substance as the wind. From what I could see, he looked alert and interested, his head cocked to one side. He was very still, frozen in place, as if he were listening intently to something. But even without his expression, I could see a certain peacefulness to him. As if that exact spot was where he was meant to be, _his_ spot. And then the vision ended, the image swirling away.

I absolutely had to know about this. What was Edward _doing?_ And what had he been listening to? I couldn't think of anything that would inspire that sort of expression on his face. Nothing ever surprised Edward.

I scrambled off the couch with newfound determination. At vampire speed, I ran to the end of the hall, Edward's room. I stopped in front of the closed door.

"Yes, Alice?" he prompted. I could hear the amusement in his tone.

"Edward," I complained. "You know what I want." I was impatient, as always, as I bounced up and down.

He laughed at my response, and he could probably hear my bouncing. "Of course, Alice. Come in." he said.

I opened the door quickly, and skipped towards the middle of the carpeted floor, as usual. He sat comfortably on his black leather couch, his hands resting on the back of his head, relaxed.

I gave him a look of irritation, my head tilted to one side. He knew I wanted an explanation to the vision I had just had.

He sighed, then shrugged. "I don't know _why_ I'm going there. I just . . . Alice, I don't know how long I'll be able to stay away from her anymore. I'm just going over there to pass the time, I suppose. A hundred years of the same night gets old, you know." he chuckled.

I thought about this. If he didn't know how long he'd be able to stay away from her, did that mean he was going to give up altogether, go back to his rule breaking?

"I'm not giving up on her, Alice." he said, answering my question. "I will not put her in any more danger." he said tightly. His eyes showed pain, though, almost regret.

I nodded slowly. "I'm sure that's the right thing to do, Edward. But I want you to be happy, too, you know. It's not fair that you should have things so hard all the time." I said softly.

He smiled faintly. "I'll be alright." he said, but his eyes were sad. I knew it wasn't true.

"So," I said, trying to lighten the mood. "What were you listening to in my vision?"

He smiled again, a better attempt this time. "Aren't you the psychic in the house, Alice? I have no clue as to what _I'm_ going to be listening to. I'm sure I'll find out soon, though."

"Hmm . . ." I said, thinking. "Well, you have fun then, while she sleeps."

He laughed.

"And don't do anything foolish, please." I added.

He rolled his eyes at me. And with that, I headed back to my room. I was slightly more at ease having talked to Edward. But I always knew he was responsible, never truly worried.

For the rest of the night, I sat, once again, thinking. Eventually, Jasper came to join me in my room, noticing my unusual quiet. I filled him in on tonight's happenings.

Jasper looked thoughtful. "Are you sure that's the best idea? Him going to her house, I mean." I understood what he was thinking quickly. Edward went to a human girl's house while he had to be kept under a watchful eye every day at school. That was surely disconcerting for him.

"I'm sure Edward will be cautious," I said carefully, watching him. He was quiet.

"Well, I'll be paying special attention to his emotions when he returns home." he told me. "I'd really like to know what he was listening to."

I groaned. "Me too! I need to know! I can't wait." He had no clue how impatient I felt at the moment.

Jasper laughed. "Of course you can't," he said teasingly.

We talked for the rest of the night, quietly. And it wasn't until the early morning hours, when the sun was just starting to peek over the horizon, that Edward came back home to face more of my bouncing and bombarding questions . . .

**A/N: Okay, so I'm not sure about something, and I'm going to see what other people think. If you visited the Twilight Lexicon a couple of weeks ago, it has a reminder from Stephenie Meyer that you can't use more than a couple quotes from Twilight in your stories you post on the Internet. It's part of a copyright thing. I'm not sure if what I'm doing is quite allowed, so I need to know if I should try to write the story, minus a whole bunch of quotes that Alice listens into. Does that make sense? From what they're saying, I probably shouldn't put a bunch of direct quotes like I did in Chapter Four, but I've seen a lot of fanfics with the same idea as mine (Twilight Alice POV) and they use a lot of quotes too. Tell me what you think (I don't feel like getting sued today) through a review or P.M. me if you want. Thanks a lot guys!**


	8. Chapter 8: Clarity

**A/N: Hey guys! Here's Chapter Eight. I tried to post a lot faster this time; sorry, my idea of fast kind of sucks. It was originally longer but because I was stuck, his little lamb convinced me to get on with it and cut it down a bit. And thanks to edforever for the suggestion on my little copyrighting dilemma. There were a couple of lines taken out of page 83 and 84 of **_**Twilight**_** for this chapter. It belongs 100 to Stephenie Meyer, not me.**

Chapter Eight: Clarity

Alice POV

As soon as I heard the sound of Edward's steps walking towards the house, I was there, with Jasper close behind. I was just about to fly down the porch stairs and fling myself at the figure slowly approaching in the early morning gloom when I noticed Jasper stop short behind me. I whirled around to look at him.

He staggered back a bit, and then stared off at nothing in particular. His eyes were slightly widened in surprise.

"Jasper?" I cried. "What is it?" He turned his head upward slightly to lock his gaze with Edward's. Edward now stood in the grass, a couple of yards from me. His arms were crossed and there was a hint of a smile on his lips. He had a far off look on his face, too, and he looked almost shocked.

"Would someone please tell me what's going on?" I asked, now agitated. From Edward's face, I knew it wasn't anything bad, as he was smiling.

"Edward," said Jasper. "What _happened_?" He was still looking at Edward with burning curiosity in his eyes.

Then it all became clear. Something only Jasper could notice. Something that triggered a new interest in what had happened tonight. Edward's emotions. They must have been pretty intense at the moment to bring a response like this out of Jasper.

"Let's go inside and I'll tell you," said Edward. He still looked as if he were thinking about something else, in his own world.

I ran up to Edward's room at full speed, and took my spot on the floor. Edward and Jasper walked, and I impatiently drummed my fingers. What could possibly have happened to Edward while Bella was _sleeping_ that was so pivotal? I raked my brain, but came up with nothing.

Finally, the two of them emerged and I sat up straighter in anticipation. Edward went to sit on his leather couch and Jasper sat down next to me. Edward still wore a small smile and I wondered faintly if he was able to take it off at all, or if something on his mind just couldn't keep it off.

"Tell me," I commanded. Edward's face snapped up and his smile became more pronounced. I vaguely noticed that there was something different about his smile, but I couldn't put my finger on it . . .

"She – " he hesitated. "She talks in her sleep." he chuckled softly. Jasper cocked his head to one side, thinking.

"And?" I urged, though, somehow, I already knew, to some extent, what he was about to say. I held my breath.

"She said my name," he murmured. And I knew. I knew right then Edward's feelings for the human girl. My suspicions were confirmed with those four little words because it wasn't _what_ he said that made all the difference; it was _how_ he said it. I could just here the amazement, the marvel, the _elation_ in his voice. I didn't need Jasper to know what he felt. It was clear enough. And this changed everything. Because Edward had feelings for a _human_. And, especially under the circumstances, that couldn't work. Our world was not for humans, not at all. It could only bring danger into Bella's life. I saw the impossibility so clearly, every obstacle that would face them. But I also saw, as clear as daylight, that this had set things in motion. Edward couldn't just keep lying to himself about his feelings for Bella, and he couldn't just keep ignoring her. It would all come into play, eventually, because I also knew that Bella had feelings for Edward. To what extent, I didn't know, but it was there. This made me absolutely giddy.

I realized several things at once. This was _it._ This was what I had been searching for after so many decades. Every time I daydreamed, searched the future without thought for someone special coming into Edward's life, Bella Swan was that person. Every time I stared at his face, looking through his eyes into the pain and loneliness behind them, Bella Swan could cure it. And every time I stood by Jasper, and Rose stood by Emmett, and Esme stood by Carlisle, Bella Swan could stand by Edward.

And then I saw the faint flicker of something in Edward's eyes. It was happiness. For once, he looked light, buoyant, as if he were floating; as it _should_ be. For once, it looked as if that darker Edward had left, that one whose laugh was always tinted with a certain bitterness, whose eyes always hid a secret, deep pain of loneliness, whose smile never looked quite as it should. Broken, somehow, but we had never seen a smile other than that one.

That was the thought that made me see it clearly, when I hadn't been able to see what was different about Edward's smile. It was . . . _crooked_. In a way that I had never seen, a sweet little crooked smile. It looked _right._ It wasn't broken, as it had always been, always tinged with a faint trace of suffering. I wondered if anyone else, or even he, saw it.

At that moment, I could have hugged Bella Swan. I could have hugged Edward. To be honest, I could have hugged _anyone,_ I was so overjoyed. Inside of me, a million fireworks went off. I just could not be fazed. I had waited so long for this moment to come, to see Edward so happy, and it had finally come! I tried desperately to compose myself, starting with finally taking a breath. I realized right then that I hadn't taken a single breath since Edward had said those words. Those words that meant everything.

A huge smile broke across my face, and I simply could not take it off, much like Edward when he had come home. I turned to Jasper and let out a little squeal. To my amusement, he had a smile exactly like mine on his face.

Edward looked amused, too. It was still that crooked smile on his face. Before I knew what I was doing, I was embracing Edward in the tightest hug I could muster and he was hugging me back. There were no words necessary for this moment. He could feel what I felt, and he knew that I understood everything. What was his joy was also my joy – and, of course, Jasper's. And for my brother to finally, _finally_ feel what I knew he had been wanting to feel for almost a century was, for me, something that could not be put into words.

When I finally let him go, I looked deep into his eyes and studied him. I knew that the choices that had just been made were eventually going to have consequences, and also had humongous obstacles. I also knew that they were probably choices that shouldn't have been made, for Bella's sake. But how could I ever deny my brother the euphoria he was in right now? For now, this was all I could ask for him.

"I'm so happy for you, Edward!" I couldn't help but squeal. He just laughed. Jasper was still smiling. He was still feeling the excessive elation radiating off of Edward.

"I understand now, Edward," said Jasper slowly. "And all those weeks after . . ."

Edward was instantly more serious. "Jasper, I'm so sorry for that. It wasn't fair to put you through that, too."

Jasper shook his head. "Like I said, I understand now. I see what she means to you." This was why I loved Jasper so much. He was so forgiving, no matter how badly he suffered.

"Thank you," said Edward meaningfully.

Jasper smiled.

But then, Edward's smile disappeared, his brow furrowed, and his eyes shut tight. His head dropped into his hands in despair.

"Edward, what's wrong?" I murmured.

"Alice, this is all wrong. She's a _human_," he whispered, his voice muffled from beneath his arms. "I can't destroy her life like this. Her just being around me would put her in danger. I'm horrible." His voice was pure agony, and it showed all the more how much she really meant to him.

"Stop this, Edward! No. Don't do this to yourself. You care about her. A lot. And I know she cares for you too. I know how hard things would be for you both, really I do. Unquestionably hard. But you're both so obviously right for each other, despite all the complications. And Edward – " I sighed. "You deserve happiness too. Don't ruin that for yourself. Please."

He looked at me for a long moment. "It doesn't change anything though. It's wrong for me to do this."

"Of course things would be dangerous," Jasper continued. "You're a vampire. She's not. But, Edward, I felt what you felt this morning. You can't hide that. And it was overwhelming, the intensity of the emotions you felt as she spoke your name in her sleep. If I had any idea of that during these past few weeks – "

Edward grimaced.

" – I wouldn't have let it go on as long as it did. Love isn't something you can fight, Edward. It may be crazy, it may not make any sense at all, but that's just how it works. So just let it happen as it does." he finished.

Edward stared at us both for a few seconds. Then he looked out the window. It was clear he wasn't going to say more on the matter. I sighed exasperatedly. Edward would be Edward, no matter what. I could see without a vision that he would have this internal debate with himself between what he wanted and what was good for Bella for a very long time. No amount of argument would change his mind, and I was certain that even after he made his decision, he'd still always be wondering if he'd chosen the right one. But he couldn't deny the feelings he had for her. It all depended on which side won. I knew which side I was on, that was for sure.

Then Jasper glanced out the window at the now rising sun, as Edward had. "We better get going soon, you guys." he murmured.

I sighed. Another repetitive day at school. But then I realized, today just might be one of the most significant days of school of Edward's – and all of ours, for that matter – very long life. Would Edward act on his newfound discovery that Bella cared for him too? What would happen next? For once, the answer to that question was unknown for Edward . . .

By the time we left the house, everyone knew what had happened the night before. The energy was infectious. Carlisle was pleased and happy for Edward, although he took the most notice of the bigger picture of all of them – Edward didn't just have feelings for someone, he had feelings for a _human._ This once again brought back Edward's previous feelings of torment. Esme was beside herself with joy for him, and she couldn't stop smiling and hugging him. Emmett was dubious, and probably couldn't see what Edward saw in Bella. He was, however, still happy that his brother had found someone he cared for at last. And then there was Rosalie, who I had been most worried about. We all knew she was against anything having to do with humans in our lives, so it was useless for her to say anything. She knew it, too.

_Rosalie stared at Edward for an immeasurable second, her arms crossed sternly. Edward waited._

_"You really care about her," she said finally. It wasn't a question, but a statement. She was still studying him intently._

_"Yes," Edward replied._

_Rosalie stayed the same for a few seconds longer before she said in true Rosalie style, "Fine. You'll deal with the consequences of that." So simple, just like that. And she turned to walk down to the Volvo._

And now, we were all in the Volvo, heading to Forks High. It was amazing how you could go through hundreds of the same day over and over and over again at school, to see how completely different this one was from those. Edward kept switching between those two emotions of disgust with himself and the undying happiness. At the moment, it was the latter of the two, and the mood was so unlike it always was; everyone was cheerful – well, minus one, but still. Jasper squeezed my hand next to me.

I turned to him, smiling. He was surely going through some easier emotions this morning.

"Feels good, doesn't it?" I laughed.

"You have no clue," he said happily. I kissed his cheek swiftly, still smiling. I was happy for him; these moods were so rare to enjoy.

The happy moment was interrupted by a sudden vision I had, taking me – once more – to Mr. Banner's Biology II class. Mr. Banner was walking around to each lab table and passing the contents of a few cardboard boxes out to each student. He identified the instruments as 'indicator cards,' 'four-pronged applicators,' and 'sterile micro-lancets.'**(pg. 94, **_**Twilight**_**)** The reactions to this announcement varied throughout the class. Some looked disgusted, some scared, and some excited. One face stood out to me, and that was Bella's. Her face was horrified and she looked sick. The familiar words that had come out of Mr. Banner's mouth suddenly took a new meaning. I remembered this lab. It was the lab we, the Cullens, always skipped as an extra precaution. The vision could only mean one thing . . .

I glanced at Edward to see that he was looking at me through the rearview mirror. _We'll have to skip Biology today, Edward, _I thought to him. He nodded once. I didn't get a chance to do anything more as a new vision hit.

This vision was exponentially better. It was official. Edward and Bella were in the Forks school parking lot, standing – of course – in the rain. Bella was looking up at Edward, raindrops dripping down her heart-shaped face, her hair drenched and clinging to her pale skin. Her hands were folded together in front of her, as if in an attempt to maintain control, and her lips were clamped closed to prevent the temptation of interrupting Edward, who looked entertained. I smiled at them. They looked so cute together, even as she glared at him with that annoyed look on her face.

"_I heard you say you were going to Seattle that day, and I was wondering if you wanted a ride."_

**(pg. 83, **_**Twilight)**_

Then, the vision swirled, as it always did, to an end. A fresh wave of glee filled me, and Jasper turned to me at the newfound happiness. He turned to raise his eyebrows at me from the front seat.

"After," I whispered. It was pointless, really, being surrounded by vampires with extremely acute hearing to be whispering. If Jasper could hear it, so could the others, sitting right next to me. But no one seemed to take notice; Emmett was trying to cheer Rosalie up from her sour mood this morning. Though even his goofiness couldn't sway her, she smiled faintly every so often to show she appreciated the effort. He knew things were difficult for her to handle. Just the thought of humans probably brought her memories back, when she already found it hard to forget her previous life. They must have been tuning everything out today.

Edward turned to look at me, however. His face remained blank, but his eyes were light with pleased curiosity. Well, she _did_ say she was going to Seattle that day. Now she would have no excuse to not go with him, since it was now known she liked him. Why would she say no? It was obviously going to be a yes.

I smiled to myself. It was really going to happen. I could feel it deep down, and some part of me heaved a great inward sigh. It was a sigh for Edward, for his contentment at last, for his completeness. At last, it would happen. My brother would be whole. I was glad he had made this decision. It probably sounded selfish and horrible for me to say that because this was all so incredibly wrong for _Bella_. She'd be in danger every moment she was with my brother, and I already cared for Bella so much, without even knowing her. She was the most important thing to my brother at the moment, and that made her priceless to me. But for the time being, all I could think about was Edward, so I couldn't think about what was best for Bella.

I wondered idly about the whole new side I would see of Edward. The only part of him I'd ever seen was the dark, bitter side that didn't know it was lonely, though it was so plain for all others to see. Was that always just Edward, or would it change once Bella Swan was officially in his life? Who really _knew_?

I was jostled up by Jasper's hand on my shoulder. I snapped out of my mindless daze and turned swiftly around to see him giving me a patronizing smile. I realized, to my embarrassment, that everyone else was already getting out of the Volvo.

"You planning on staying here all day, Alice?" he teased.

"Nope. Sorry, sweetie. Just thinking about a lot of things." I said with a smile, quickly hopping out of the car.

"Daydreaming again, _sweetie_?" Emmett called over his shoulder with a laugh, as he walked down to towards the cafeteria, his arm around Rosalie's waist.

"Very funny, Emmett," I rolled my eyes. Jasper slammed his car door shut and slung his prop of a schoolbag over his shoulder. He walked over to me and we followed Emmett and Rosalie's general direction of the Forks cafeteria.

"Your vision?" he muttered, taking a fleeting look back at Edward, who was leaning against the Volvo, staring listlessly off into space.

I bounced up and down at the reminder of it. "Edward is going to ask Bella if he can drive her to Seattle!" I squealed.

He laughed. "Really?"

"Yup. And I'm pretty sure she's going to say yes. I mean, we all know she says his name in her sleep. For goodness sake, she can't hide that now, poor girl. But if she _does_ say yes, I can feel it, Jasper. It would put everything in motion. They'd be together, eventually. I'm only hoping Edward doesn't blame himself for doing it when they _do_. You know Edward. It's dangerous for us to be with humans, and he'd hate himself for doing that to her. He'd never forgive himself. Of course, classic Edward. Incriminating himself for being happy . . ." I was babbling, I knew. I looked up at Jasper. He was staring down at me, a certain lightness in his eyes and a small smile on his beautiful lips.

"What is it?" I laughed.

"Just thinking," he answered, his smile growing.

"About . . ."

He stopped, pausing as he stared down into my eyes. His were an alluring liquid butterscotch. "How lucky I am that I've found _you_." he said finally.

I locked my arms around his neck, leaning up to kiss him softly. Even as I stretched to my toes, he still had to duck down. He chuckled quietly.

We were interrupted by a roaring sound in our extremely sensitive ears. I groaned and stopped walking, now ducking into _him_. I knew that familiar sound; it was Bella's ancient, rusty red Chevy pulling into the Forks parking lot. I didn't miss how she seemed to deliberately hunt for a space far away from the silver Volvo.

Edward was now walking away from it, however, towards the Chevy. His walking was a bit too quick to pass as human. He looked like he was laughing under his breath. As she got out of the truck, she dropped her keys in a rain puddle on the asphalt. Before she had time to pick them up, Edward snatched them up in one quick movement. He was now leaning against her truck, in a leisurely pose.

I turned my head away from the two, so as not to get caught watching. I leaned my head against Jasper's chest, taking in the sweet aroma of his jacket.

Every part of me was alert and awake, as if electricity was flowing through me. I listened in fascination and anticipation as the two quickly started a conversation. Well, not so much a conversation as Edward insulting Bella. Oh, how nice. Blaming her for not being able to see vampire speed. Was this his idea of asking Bella out on a – there was no other way to say it – date? Insulting her? My brother needed professional help.

From the brief glimpse I had of Bella as she had drove into the parking lot and from my vision, I saw her eyes had faint, light circles under them from a bad night's sleep. I suspected that she wasn't sleeping well because of whatever caused her to say Edward's name last night. A nightmare, perhaps? I frowned slightly as I remembered her appearance. She needed a more exciting outfit. I knew the weather in Forks was cold for a human, but there were other ways to go besides a simple shirt with jeans.

"I wish you could have felt what Edward did this morning, Alice," said Jasper, pulling me out of my reverie. We were still standing in the middle of the parking lot. We probably looked a bit awkward there but none of the passing students stared anymore. They had more or less accepted the Cullens – or given up, maybe – so that nobody took any real notice of us anymore. We were simply outsiders, not to be socialized with.

"Oh, I think I have an idea of what it would have felt like." I laughed faintly, preoccupied with listening to the conversation going on between a certain vampire and a human. "It was plain to see."

I listened carefully – guiltily – to the conversation unfolding. Something about a traffic jam? Maybe they were talking about Edward's little stunt yesterday with Tyler in the parking lot.

"Now I really feel bad about letting Edward continue to ignore Bella all those weeks. It was causing him so much pain." continued Jasper.

I looked up at him to see his expression, sneakily glancing at Bella as I did so.

She was glowering up at him, but then a dazed look passed on her face as she did, and the glower was nowhere near as effective. She looked away quickly. What was that?

"Don't feel bad," I said gently. "No one knew how strongly he felt about her then, and I think it's only further showed us how much she affects him. He needs her," I trailed off, gazing at that special human who had captured Edward's heart. She had changed both of their lives the moment she had walked – well, tripped was more like it – into Mr. Banner's room on her fateful first day of school. Even if Edward had found a way to get away from her, they would have eventually, inevitably, been drawn to each other one way or another.

Jasper must have caught my gaze.

"You know, it's not polite to eavesdrop, Alice," Jasper chuckled into my hair. I was still snuggled into his jacket, safe from the destructive sound of Bella's truck, though the monster had long since been quieted.

I sighed in defeat. The man was just too good. How had he known? As if to answer my question, he laughed and pointed a thumb to his chest. "It wasn't just _my_ guilt I was feeling while I was talking to you."

Oh. Right.

"But I need to know how things go, if Bella says yes to Edward's offer," I complained, though I was glad to move on to lighter topics. But did he not know me at all? I was much too impatient to wait.

"I know _that_. But you can just watch through your visions." he answered, smiling.

"The real thing is so much more fun." I mumbled.

He laughed. "Well, we can't stand here all day, Alice," he gestured to our surroundings. We were still standing in the middle of the parking lot, two thirds of the way to the school. Bella and Edward were three parking rows away.

"I won't listen again." I sighed, turning towards the school. Jasper grinned slightly as we started walking.

I honestly tried to focus on something else. I tried staring ahead of me, glaring at a crack on the cafeteria door, and singing in my head. Nothing worked. Knowing that such a pivotal conversation was going on in this very parking lot was annoyingly irresistible, and it made it even harder when I could so easily just hear it. I hated lying to Jasper but if he thought I was going to wait for Edward, he was dead wrong. The conversation had obviously turned in a new direction while I had been distracted.

Edward was suddenly apologizing for being rude. What? I definitely missed something.

The tone of Bella's voice was sour as I continued to listen. Bella was very good at hiding her true feelings for Edward, I could tell. Either that, or he was being extremely irritating at the moment. It was probably the second of the two.

Edward finally said that he wanted to ask her something. This was it! He was about to ask her! I tried to keep cool, as to not let Jasper know I was actually still eavesdropping.

I faltered as Bella made another comment, distracting him again.

_Get on with it, Edward!_ I felt like screeching. I hoped he hadn't been listening to my thoughts.

I held my breath as he tried _again_ to ask the full question, but she interrupted him quickly, shrieking at him, appalled. My breath blew out in a gust.

The spring dance must have been a touchy subject. Well, if three people asked me and I didn't want to go, I would probably feel a bit harassed, too.

Then, the words I had been waiting for finally came out. "I heard you say you were going to Seattle that day, and I was wondering if you wanted a ride." ** (pg. 83, **_**Twilight**_**)**

Bella didn't actually answer him after that, as I held my breath in anticipation; she was too stunned. I couldn't really blame her there. After all, he had been ignoring her for so many weeks – with some effort – and, to her, it probably came quite randomly. I could tell he wasn't going to get an answer for a while as Bella asked him more questions in shock, so I tried to focus more on Jasper.

And then something occurred to me. Hadn't I been wondering all those weeks during Edward's little silent treatment what Bella had been feeling? What she felt for Edward? I wanted to smack myself for being so blind. And that didn't happen often.

"Jasper . . . all those weeks after the accident – did you ever know how _Bella_ felt?"

Jasper looked down at me, curiously. "No . . . I never really had that chance. I tried to stay as far away as possible from her since she appealed to _Edward_ so strongly. And it'd have to be with very few people around for me to get her exact feelings, without anyone else's. Why?"

"Well, I had been thinking about what she'd been feeling for him, hurt as she was by the way he acted towards her. And, after all this, to find she does – strangely – return the same feelings, I was wondering how long that had been going on."

He thought about that for a moment. "I don't think there's any real way to tell that. But it's intriguing." he smiled at me.

I smiled, but immediately remembered the reason for his distraction. He was so good at distracting me.

I was frozen there, right at the front of the school, at the curb as I heard those words I had waited for.

"Will you go with me to Seattle?" **(pg. 84, **_**Twilight**_**)**

Now, the real anticipation kicked in. I was immediately nervous, waiting for her answer. What if she was too irritated to accept? What if Edward had been wrong about last night? What if she was having a _nightmare_ about him and that was why she had been saying his name? What if she –

I realized I was holding my breath as it seemed I waited an eternity for her answer. After a pause, I grew confused and, unthinkingly, whipped my head towards the two of them, standing under the cafeteria roof. I turned just in time to see Bella nod her head slowly.

A great big smile crossed Edward's face as he looked down at Bella. Then, I saw that look that I had seen early this morning, when the guilt overtook him, and he thought about how drastically he would change Bella's human life.

"You really _should_ stay away from me. I'll see you in class." **(pg. 84, **_**Twilight**_**) **he said, and swiftly walked back the way he had come.

I stood staring at Bella, who was standing there, watching Edward. I wasn't sure if what I heard next came from me, but it sounded like a little shriek of triumph and delight.

I heard a chuckle from beside me, and I froze.

" 'I won't listen again.' " quoted Jasper, laughing.

**A/N: Thanks for reading, you guys, and hope you enjoyed it. Once again, some dialogue was taken from pages 83 and 84 of **_**Twilight**_**. That's to give credit to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer!**


	9. Chapter 9, part 1: Inevitable

**A/N: Yay! Another chapter for you. I'm soooo sorry it took me so long!! But on my Word document it's about 14 pages long so I hope I made up for it :) And also, because of that, I had to cut this chapter in half. I guess I wrote TOO much this time ;) So there is a part 2. Well, anyway, thanks for being patient, guys.**

**And now, a disclaimer just cuz:**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, never have, never will.**

Chapter Nine: Inevitable

Part 1

Alice POV

I struggled to keep a reasonably human pace as I half-ran to the cafeteria. It was lunch, and I was impatiently waiting to see the vision I had just had eight minutes before the end of my third period of the day come true. I had seen Edward talking to Bella at a different table than the one the five of us usually sat at. I couldn't wait.

As I threw the cafeteria door open with a little too much force, making the people nearest me scatter so that no one was within a ten-foot radius of me, my eyes fell on our table. It was still vacant. Students were just starting to file into the lunch line, making a wide arc around me as they entered. No one dared come within my walking range. I sighed, exasperated at their natural withdrawal from me, and skipped into the line.

I waited there, bouncing impatiently. Rosalie and Emmett came walking in together, soon after. As I distractedly paid for and took the lunch I wouldn't eat, I scanned the cafeteria again for any signs of Edward. Satisfied when there weren't, I went to our table and waited for the others to arrive.

I ground my cornbread to bits with anticipation.

Finally, Emmett and Rosalie appeared with their wasted trays, as well. They sat down across from me, and I didn't look up until Emmett's booming laughter interrupted my thoughts.

"What's wrong with you, Alice?" he chortled. I must have looked pretty confused as to what they were talking about because even Rosalie cracked a smile at me.

"I can _hear_ your bouncing!" he laughed again. Oh. I looked down, not even having noticed that my feet were jittering too quickly for human eyes.

"Bella's going to Seattle with Edward and he's going to talk to her again when he arrives." I blurted. Rosalie went rigid but tried to shake it off, acting like she didn't care and turning her head to stare at a freshman. Emmett paid no attention to her, but gave me a dubious expression, raising an eyebrow.

"Will everyone just be happy for him, _please_? Have we _ever_ seen him as happy as he was this morning? I know there is more than enough reason to be concerned – "

"The hell there is!" said Rosalie sharply. Her voice was like whiplash, and I was immediately hurt by her tone. I tried to tell myself that I was talking to Rosalie here, tried to look at this all through her eyes. It was still hard for me to imagine how she could be so cold about all of it.

I was conscious of Jasper sliding into the seat next to me, immediately defensive of me having heard Rosalie, and I was even more conscious of the calming wave that overcame me as he did so.

"I'm sorry. But I think we owe it to Edward to be as supportive as possible about this whole thing. He deserves it." I muttered. Emmett nodded, understanding. Rose said nothing, but I knew she loved her brother and knew what I was saying, too.

Realizing I had completely forgotten about Edward and my vision, I whipped around searching. The first place I looked was Bella's usual table with Jessica Stanley. Seeing she was gone, a slow smile spread across my face, and I turned my head towards the table I had seen in my vision. There sat the sweetest couple I had ever seen. Edward and Bella.

He must have known I would have already seen him and explained to the others about the tables.

"Alice," Jasper gave me a warning, looking at me meaningfully. He was serious about not listening to their conversations, but his eyes were amused. I gave him an innocent look but tried hard not to concentrate on the two of them.

It was hard not to look at them though. I stared, contemplating the two. Edward had that same crooked smile on his face and kept laughing a lot. I liked that smile; it was sweet. I noticed that Edward laughed often while with Bella. And it wasn't just one of those dark, bitter laughs either. It was effortless; the way laughing was supposed to be.

Trying to lighten the mood and keep myself distracted from their conversation, I turned to Rosalie. "Rose, do you maybe want to go for a little shopping trip soon? We need dresses for the spring dance."

Rosalie's expression softened at my attempt. "That's true," she said thoughtfully. "We need some girl time, just us."

My eyes sparkled at the idea. I was due for a shopping trip.

Rose hesitated. "I'm sorry, Alice. For before." Her eyes were sincere, and I believed her.

"Rose," I smiled a small smile. "I know." She looked grateful for my understanding.

The two guys were having a totally different conversation so I turned to look at Edward and Bella again while Rosalie followed my example and pulverized her cornbread.

I watched in fascination at the two as they smiled and laughed through their conversation.

It was clear to see their instant connection. Like magnets, they were drawn to each other. And I had already gotten a taste of what both were like without the other. Edward had been so sad, so empty without her company. Bella had mirrored his state, hurt by his rejection.

For the first time since his love had been pronounced, I really looked at the obstacles, the problems that faced the two. Edward would always, always be fighting that side of him that thirsted for her blood. It was an undying animal inside of him that had to be contained, quieted. They couldn't be close like other couples, at least not for a long time. They couldn't have that easy, effortlessness that a relationship should have. It would be complicated, forever complicated.

But did those things lessen their love?

My head immediately answered with a negative. Looking at the two, it was clear to see that each was infatuated with the other. And wouldn't all those complications intensify their love? I could already see how protective Edward would be towards her. They would face all of those things that stood in their way. Together.

I focused more on Bella's face as I saw a flash of what I had seen this morning in the rain. As she stared at Edward's eyes, she looked immediately dazed. Then, she looked confused, as Edward seemed to ask a question. I searched for a word that described the strange look on her face, but came up clean.

"Alice? _Alice,_" My head jerked up in reaction to Rosalie's irritated voice. I had been so oblivious to my surroundings as I watched the two and let my mind wander.

"Sorry," I muttered.

Emmett chuckled and shook his head while Jasper smiled. I glared.

"How about this weekend?" Rosalie pressed.

I stared at her blankly. "Sorry, what?"

Rosalie rolled her eyes at me. "_You_ of all people, Alice. The _shopping_ trip we were talking about half a minute ago?" Oh, yes! The shopping trip for our spring dance dresses! My thoughts immediately streamed in a string of possibilities. It wasn't just the opportunity to go shopping that got me excited – although it contributed – no, I really needed the time to talk things over with Rose. Things had been so tense lately – between us, especially.

"Yeah, the shopping trip. Right." I gave an easy little smile, swooning at the type of bliss a shopping trip would offer. I could feel that familiar part of me slipping into place, the one that could hardly keep a human pace while searching the endless stores.

"Well, this weekend would be perfect!" she exclaimed. "Edward and Emmett are going hunting," there was only a slight tightening in her eyes at Edward's name "so I don't want to sit around while Emmett's out. And this weekend's the last before the dance, anyway."

Hmm, she had a point. Well, the sooner the better. I had forgotten all about their hunting trip this weekend. They had decided to skip school the next day to get a head start on their hunting trip. Emmett hadn't gone in a while, and Edward had to take extra precautions if he was going to be with a human on Saturday . . .

"This weekend would be perfect!" I squealed. My outlook on the coming week seemed even brighter at the thought . . . if that was possible.

My smile faltered as I turned to Jasper. "What are you going to do, Jasper? You'll be alone." I felt guilty and sad at the thought of everyone leaving while Jasper stayed home.

He gave me a smile. "Alice, I'll be fine. I just hunted a couple of days ago, and I don't need to go with Edward and Emmett. I'll stay home. You two have your fun." I could see the thought of going along on one of my shopping trips with Rosalie was intolerable.

"You sure?" I asked, still hesitant.

"Positive," he smiled, and Emmett nudged him, grinning at the thought of him shopping with us. Honestly, our shopping trips weren't _that_ bad.

"Well, we need to get going." I stated, noticing the cafeteria room steadily emptying. The others glanced around, surveying their surroundings, and quickly took their full trays to the trash.

As I walked out the cafeteria door, Jasper at my side, I took a last fleeting glance at that pair, still at their table. They seemed oblivious to their surroundings, as if all other distractions melted away as soon as their eyes fell on each other. I was getting way ahead of myself, though. Edward was having an internal war with himself. He had already made the choice to allow Bella into his life, but, at the same time, he didn't want her to be exposed to the danger we all imposed on her. He couldn't have it both ways obviously. I knew he would have to eventually accept the fact that she would have to take that risk of being exposed to such danger to be with him. Danger was inevitable when with a vampire. _Especially_ when your blood appealed too strongly to a vampire who spent excessive time with you, and _especially_ with such luck as Bella's.

I froze as I realized that if Edward and Bella were ever going to be together, Bella would have to know about us. We would need to break the one rule we had so carefully followed for a century. She would be in on out darkest secret.

But hadn't I already known that? It would be impossible for her _not _to know. It was a given. I supposed I had known all along somewhere in the back of my head that it was the only way. I knew before I even thought about it that I would accept her knowing. More than accept it, I would embrace her into my life. She already meant so much to me just because she meant so much to Edward. I knew I would immediately be close with her. It was some other people that I was worried about . . .

But all of this was irrelevant for the moment. Bella still had no clue how Edward felt about her, or that he knew how she felt. I shuddered at the thought of what she'd think if she knew Edward had been with her all of last night. Would she have been happy? Flattered, even, at the prospect of him being there watching over her? Would she have thought of it as Edward watching over her, like her own personal guard? Or would it come off scary, like a stalker following her? Regardless, I had a strong feeling Edward would be going back to that little house tonight.

"So, I take it you're excited for this weekend." Jasper laughed at my previous enthusiasm.

"Yes, I am," I smiled up at him. "But it's not just the shopping. I really need a chance to talk to Rosalie. Things have been – "

I was cut off by a sudden vision as the bell rang distantly, though I couldn't hear it. I was really getting tired of the same place my visions kept taking me. Once _again_, I found myself in Mr. Banner's Biology II class. Remembering that blood typing was on the agenda today, curiosity overtook me. As the vision cleared, I could see what I had seen this morning. Mr. Banner was handing out supplies for blood typing, as various expressions passed over his students' faces. One face stood out among all the others to me, and it was Bella's. Her face was horrorstruck as she watched the scene playing out before her, her face turning an unsettling shade of green. I watched as Mr. Banner excused Bella from class, allowing Mike Newton to take her to the nurse's office. I held my breath as Mike helped her sit on the curb. She proceeded to lean on her side and lay her cheek on the curb. She looked absolutely miserable. But, as I had suspected, a second later, Edward came hurriedly strutting towards the motionless Bella, a concerned look clouding his face. The vision faded just as he reached her, anxious seeing the state she was in.

Jasper's patient one replaced Edward's anxious face as I returned to the present. He raised his eyebrows questioningly.

Though any normal person probably would have felt remorse for Bella's condition had they just seen what I had, a smile danced across my face. After all, I wasn't a normal person. It was so sweet, Edward coming to Bella's rescue like that. Like her own personal superhero. Edward, a superhero. I suppressed a giggle.

I looked up to find Jasper's amused expression. "What – "

"Bella's going to get sick in Biology II because of the blood typing. Mike Newton is going to help her to the nurse's, and Edward's going to see her and come to help her." I blurted as quickly as I could at vampire speed. I would have to hurry to class, maybe blurring the lines on what human speed was and wasn't, but I had more important matters on my mind.

Jasper's face looked more alarmed at that. "But if Bella sticks her finger, Edward won't be able to stop himself!" he said in a low voice.

"That's the funny part," I smiled. "She didn't even stick her finger." I tried not to laugh, but this really was quite amusing. Blood, of all things. Bella Swan was turning out to be quite an interesting human.

Jasper relaxed. But then he turned around to see the almost-deserted campus and quickly ushered me to class just in time, while my thoughts ran a mile a minute, an idiotic grin fixed on my face.

Class was useless, a torture chamber of boredom. While my teachers droned on, I thought. I thought about Bella's aversion to blood, the one thing that – temporarily – cured our undying thirst. I thought about the concern and anxiety in Edward's eyes as he saw Bella lying there on the ground, sick from the very thing he needed, that made him what he was. I thought about that look on Bella's face in the cafeteria, that dazed look. What caused it? What was she thinking about? I couldn't get that expression out of my head.

Just as I thought I would die _again_ – maybe achieve the impossible – I had a vision. And I was in Edward's silver Volvo – with its owner and Bella. Edward was efficiently driving a soaking-looking Bella home, through the pouring rain, of course. She looked much better than she had in my last vision. I assumed this was right after the blood typing incident. Bella was laughing animatedly and Edward was looking at her as if he was trying to figure her out. I wondered vaguely who would get Bella's old, red, noisy truck.

As the vision ended, my question was answered by the next vision that followed, almost immediately after the first one. I saw myself driving the rusted Chevy to Bella's house, cheerful, thought wincing at the roar of the beast I drove. That vision ended quickly.

Well of course it would be me driving her truck home. Who else would? Anyone else might have been annoyed at the fact that Edward had left me to do it, but I wasn't. He knew I supported him and understood the fullest of the four of us. And I was happy to do that for him; it felt oddly as though I were helping their not-yet relationship form in some miniscule way, or at least as if I encouraged it.

Somehow (I really don't know how), I lasted through the next period until the final bell rang. When it did, I struggled to keep a human pace as I darted out the classroom door, earning a few wide-eyed stares and a few annoyed glances, though I didn't give them a second thought.

When I got to the curb at the front of the school, students anxiously shoving themselves towards their destinations, each in a hopeless attempt to stay dry (though they always gave a Cullen a bit more room to their bubble of space), I spotted Edward already leaning on the Volvo, a serene look on his face. I felt a hand take mine and didn't have to turn to know Jasper had arrived. I glanced at him and saw that he wore the same smile I did, spotting Edward.

"How was your afternoon?" he asked me, though the answer was obvious.

"Fantastic," I smiled. "I'm going to be driving Bella's truck home today. Edward drove her home in the Volvo. You'll be alright with the lovebirds and Mr. Mercurial, won't you?" I added.

Jasper laughed. "Of course. I'll be waiting on your return, while I sit through my torment next to the love birds and Mr. Mercurial." He recited, rolling his eyes in fake exasperation.

"Good. I'll see you in a bit." I gave him a quick kiss, then set off for Bella's truck. It was a few stalls down from the Volvo. As I set into a quick lope, I strutted past Edward, who had on an amused expression. I kept my head straight forward, a mission to accomplish.

"Alice," he greeted me as I walked on. He already knew that I knew what I was supposed to do.

"Edward," I said curtly. I didn't have to see him to know that he would be smiling, suppressing a laugh.

"Key's in the ignition." He said simply. I nodded and yanked Bella's truck door open, sending rust-colored bits of paint flying down with the rain. I hopped in, landing neatly in the tan-colored driver's seat. It smelled old and musky, but comfortable. Turning the key in the ignition, I nearly jumped at the following roar it let out. With an encouraging and excited smile, I patted the steering wheel in an attempt to start off on good terms. I sighed as it wheezed idly, determined to make things hard for me. So it was going to be like that, was it?

I tried my best to drive at a reasonable speed limit, but the truck wouldn't give me more than 55! I could _walk_ faster than that. Irritated as I wound down the soaked pathway to Bella's house, the fact that the truck had a speed limitation only made me more determined to get it to go faster. My foot was resting on the gas pedal, the gas pedal resting on the floor.

The sound of the protesting truck's growls echoed in my sensitive ears. How could Bella _stand _this thing?

Trying to distract myself from the noise, I wondered idly what Jasper would be doing right now. He had been doing extraordinarily well recently. He seemed to be able to restrain himself enough lately without too much concentration or discomfort. Maybe it was the fact that Edward had come into contact with a human whose scent appealed to him exponentially more than any human Jasper had ever come across, and he had resisted. Maybe it drove him to try to gain that kind of self-control.

Thinking about Jasper made me want to be with him, and I impatiently glanced at the speedometer, which stubbornly wouldn't budge.

And then I stopped in the middle of the deserted road, the rain pounding hard on the roof above me, fogging up the windshield. It was raining too much for any human to be able to see much clearly. An idea had occurred to me. What if I ran the truck the rest of the way to Bella's house? No one would see me, and I'd be home to Jasper sooner.

A triumphant smile danced across my face as I looked from the road ahead – mist covering the ground, a product of the impact of the rain – to the speedometer, now at 0. _So there!_ I thought, hoping the truck got the message.

Without another thought, I wrenched the truck door open, instantly getting soaked, and shoved my right hand under the edge of the truck. Feeling around until I had a good grip on the red beast, I jerked my left hand beneath it too. Then, I slowly lifted it up until all four tires were above the ground. I smiled at my own genius.

I knew I was being more than a bit irrational. It wouldn't take me long to get to Bella's house; I was already two-thirds of the way there. But allowing the truck to take me at such a sloth's pace just seemed like it was winning. I imagined the deafening roar of the truck as its own irritating version of cackling.

Making sure, one final time, that I had a good grip on the truck's underside, I took a deep, unnecessary breath and ran.

The wind whipped at my face with the absolute speed of my running; thousands of puny, dart-like raindrops pelted me, coming from my opposing direction; the old truck groaned in protest – not that any of these things slowed me down. The run was exhilarating – the moss-covered trees passing me by as if they had suddenly grown feet and started running backwards – and, surprisingly, it felt wonderful. Though anyone else might have found it an uncomfortable journey, it felt strangely liberating to me. I was set free from the restricting truck, and felt completely alone in the downpour. But it was the good kind of alone, the easy kind. The kind of alone where you know it's just you and your thoughts, free to wander.

I reached Bella's street all too soon, the rain beginning to let off just a bit. As I turned the corner, I hovered extra low next to the truck's left side, trying to blend in, though I knew no human had a hope of seeing me in the distorting rain. I slowed down to the truck's speed – gritting my teeth – and put it gently in front of the curb at Bella's house. Still ducking behind the truck, I peeked my head up to take a look at Bella's house.

It was the first time I saw her house since she had moved in – well, in real life. The house was mostly dark, except for the top floor, where a light shown dimly through the rain's fine mist. I assumed it was Bella's room, since Charlie Swan's police cruiser wasn't yet parked out front.

I stared up at that room, where Bella Swan, a very special girl, most likely sat. How much would her life change after Edward walked into it? Would I get a chance to meet that girl soon? I very much hoped so. I wanted a first-hand account of what this girl was like, what drew Edward towards her. Plus, I had always yearned to have a human girlfriend to talk to. That would definitely be a first.

Standing there in the rain, I felt too much like a stalker for my liking, so I turned around – taking a last peek at Bella's house – and ran back the direction I had come from.

I was winding down the familiar forest drive in a matter of minutes, having had the wind on my side this time. As soon as I was safely in the shelter of the woods, I immediately slowed down. The thick canopy of trees above me created a shield, letting only a few fat drops of rain, every so often, fall through. My clothes were sopping wet, my usual halo of black disorganized spikes wet and drooping. I realized with a frown that Esme would not be too happy with my appearance, likely to get everything wet.

As I made it to the clearing, the white and timeless house emerging from the trees, I saw my favorite vampire sitting there, lounging on the porch. A great big smile spread across his face as he, no doubt, took in my appearance, as expected. My answering smile was just as big.

He jogged over to me at vampire pace. "Alice," Jasper smiled. My response was a big, wet hug, soaking him in the process. He laughed, and hugged me back, not caring.

"So, Bella's truck's back. All's in order." I said, cheerfully, not even acknowledging my appearance.

He just smiled. "Let's go inside,"

"Sure," I replied, skipping inside, needing no further commands. I stopped two steps inside, remembering my soaked state. I looked back outside, debating what to do.

"Alice, just come in. It's just water," Esme laughed, appearing beside me. She kissed me lightly on the cheek.

I smiled. "Thanks, mom!" I chirped, and skipped in to greet everyone. Hearing the light buzz of the T.V., I went over to the living room where Emmett and Rosalie sat, Jasper following me. Emmett was splayed out on the couch, Rosalie sitting in his lap. They were both talking mutely.

"Hey, Rose. Emmett," I called. They looked up at me, and I noticed a look of extreme amusement cross Emmett's face.

"Alice," Rosalie greeted.

Emmett chortled. "Get out much, Alice?" he commented on my wet clothes and hair.

"We live in _Forks,_ Emmett," I rolled my eyes.

"Obviously." he laughed.

I turned on my heel, moving on. Carlisle wasn't home from the hospital yet, so I went off to say hi to Edward. Flying up the staircase, I stopped right in front of his room, as the door was open.

"Hey, Edward," I called as I walked in. He was fiddling with his stereo system, a stack of CD's spread out in front of him. He turned around, also entertained at my appearance.

I gave a sigh of exasperation, and Jasper and Edward both chuckled. "_Forks,_" I reminded.

"I'm sorry, Alice. I suppose that was to be expected after what I asked you today. Thank you for that, by the way." he told me, though still smiling.

"Mhmm," I murmured, but my mind was already wandering to other topics. "So . . . how did the _blood typing_ incident go?" I asked, letting my curiosity get the better of me.

"Well, you already know, don't you?" He laughed. "It seems Bella Swan is especially sensitive to _blood_." Here we all joined in the laughing. It was all just so ironic. "She didn't want to go to gym afterwards," he went on, "so I told Ms. Cope she was too sick to go, and took her home. On the way, we talked about her mother and she asked about our family." Wow. So she was interested in our family, was she?

"You told her you wouldn't be there tomorrow, right?" I asked.

"Yes," he said, confused.

"Why?"

"Well, she should know, Edward." I scolded. "She'd be hurt if you didn't."

"Well, I did. And she's going to First Beach this weekend with Mike Newton and his friends, while Emmett and I go hunting. I told her to try to stay safe while out. I'm not sure how much she'll actually pay attention to that warning, though." He shook his head, smiling, but underneath it, I could see a real trace of worry. How odd.

"First Beach?" asked Jasper, raising an eyebrow. First Beach was Quileute territory; past the boundary. I automatically stiffened, though I had never actually had an encounter with our natural enemy. I wanted to keep it that way.

I saw Edward's eyes tighten, ever so slightly. "Yes. But we have nothing to worry about, do we?" That was true. There were currently no werewolves on Quileute land, as we liked it.

Jasper nodded. "Well, we'll leave you be then, won't we, Alice?" he asked. "Yup," I replied, and we both walked out.


	10. Chapter 9, part 2: Inevitable

Chapter Nine: Inevitable

Part 2

Alice POV

**A/N: Part 2!**

That night, I didn't need a vision to know that Edward would be at Bella's house again tonight. Especially if he wasn't going to see her at school for a few days. I tried to reassure him that I'd be looking out for Bella's future for him to make sure he was alright. I could see that he was a lot more worried about her than he let on.

_Edward grimaced as he thought about the fact that Bella would be at a beach without him this weekend, free to run off and get herself hurt with no one there to save her. Bella and a bunch of jagged tide pools – not the best of combinations, I could see that. Edward zipped up his backpack for his 'hiking trip' the next day with more force than necessary. "Edward, relax," I said, trying not to grow too exasperated with my brother. I knew this was hard for him, and I didn't know what it felt like to have a human I cared so much for. "I'll look out for her future and make sure she's alright. She _will_ be, you know that." "And what would _you_ do if something _did_ happen, Alice?" he looked up from his progress to look at me sarcastically. "March over the boarder?" he snorted. "I don't think so." I pursed my lips in thought. That was true. I couldn't do anything if she _did_ manage to get herself in that much trouble in a matter of hours. "Look, do you want my help or not?" I snapped at him. I felt bad immediately. I hadn't meant to flare out at him, since he was already upset."Sorry," I murmured. He looked up at me again. "I'm sorry, you're right. I appreciate your help, Alice. It just . . . worries me to be away from her." Oh, yeah, that much was clear. But I immediately softened at the obviousness of what he had just said. It really did affect him to be away from her. He smiled, having heard all my thoughts. I left him alone to finish up his packing for the next morning, leaving my perch at his leather couch to go see Jasper. _

Edward had just slipped out to go stay at Bella's as I sat on my bedroom couch, leaning on Jasper. It was only lightly drizzling outside, a soft, comforting sound.

"Edward really cares for her," I whispered.

"He does," Jasper murmured in my ear. I buried my head closer in his neck. I was curious about Edward's little trip to Bella's house again. Ever since this morning, I hadn't been able to get that image from my vision out of my head. The image of Edward sitting on Bella's rooftop, his head cocked to the side, listening – as I now knew – to Bella, restlessly whispering his name. I now recognized the surprise and faint trace of disbelief on his features, thinking back on the vision.

"What are you thinking about, Alice?" Jasper asked me, looking down at me, deep in thought.

"I was just thinking about that vision I had last night of Edward on the rooftop of Bella's house." I furrowed my brow, trying to remember all the little details of the picture the future had painted for me.

Realizing the image was fading in my mind, like an instant reaction, I searched the future for Edward tonight on that rooftop. Images flashed before my closed lids as I scanned for what I was after. And there he was. In the exact same spot as last night, he sat on Bella Swan's rooftop shingles, a white ghost on a black night. The rain was just a quiet background pattering as it dropped lightly on his face, leaving drops in his hair. This time, his expression was different, though. He smiled, expectant, as he knew this time what was about to happen. It was that same crooked smile that I was coming to learn more as _Bella's smile_. But behind the smile, there was also a touch of worry that tinged his features, and a look of longing. I recognized the worry from the conversation we had had about Bella's plans at First Beach. I had a pretty good feeling about where the longing came from. Edward had decided to give into his desires, to let them lead him on, forgetting the rulebook. He knew he wasn't doing the right thing, for her, anyway. But although he chose not to _follow_ the rulebook, he still knew there were rules and that they had consequences. The vision ended with that same look on Edward's face.

I adjusted my eyes back to my own room and found Jasper looking at me with a smile, expectant.

"What were you looking for?" he asked playfully. Suspiciously.

"Edward," I replied. "At Bella's house . . . I was curious." I added sheepishly. But he knew me inside and out. Self-control was not one of my mastered talents.

Jasper chuckled. "I can see if Edward and Bella ever become a couple, they won't get much privacy by you, Alice."

I scowled. He laughed.

"They _will_." I said softly, thinking about his comment.

He looked at me curiously. After a moment, he spoke again. "You would know," he said with a half smile.

I laughed at that. He stared at me in what looked like fascination. "What?" I smiled.

"I love your laugh," he murmured. I snuggled in closer to him, wrapping my arms around his neck. "I love _yours_," I corrected. There wasn't a more captivating thing than Jasper's laugh. It made me laugh with him, though sometimes I just stared at him like an idiot until he asked me what I was doing. It wasn't unlike what he'd just been doing . . . maybe he _was_ as absorbed as I was with his laugh. No, there was no way he could possibly be as effected by me as I was by him.

He smiled at that, and we sat there talking and teasing for the rest of the night.

It was dawn and the early morning light was just starting to fall through the thick canopy of trees and through the windows. The mood in my small room was light, between Jasper and I. It abruptly darkened.

I was pulled out of my comfortable room without warning. I was slightly annoyed that the vision had to take me away from my Jasper at such a peaceful moment – but I quickly forgot about that, as the images displayed before me brought on reason for alarm.

It was a dark, deserted road and the vision brought me into the perspective of one of them. Of us. They stood staring in the middle of the road at a sign. It read _"Welcome to Washington"_ in angled green lettering. They were just _standing there_, the one on my right with his head cocked to the side, with a strange – almost childlike – curiosity clear on his features. His hair was a light brown, his features rather unremarkable for a vampire. As the other did, he wore everyday clothes, jeans and a long sleeved shirt – though they were obviously worn out. He was also barefoot like the other one, and the one whose eyes I was looking through, I assumed. The female on the left was the one who brought me the most unease. She looked ferocious with a shock of big orange hair, falling past her shoulders. Her expression was vicious, even as she showed no emotion in it.

What caught my attention the most about the them, however, was the brilliant red crimson in the darkness. Their eyes, what gave them away to make them one of our enemies. They drank human blood . . .

And they were coming to Washington.

My eyes widened in panic, unaffected by the fact that I was now in my room, no longer watching the threatening three.

For it was not _our_ fates that I feared for; it was _Bella's._ Those three didn't have a chance of getting passed the seven of us, but with helpless, fragile, _human_ Bella – oh yes, they certainly had a chance.

No, they had no chance. I wouldn't give them that chance.

Whether it was because of my body's automatic stiffness or the anxiety he felt radiating off of me, Jasper immediately turned me around to look at him. At the worry and tension in my eyes, he sat abruptly up and put both of his hands on my shoulders. A wave of calm washed over me instantly.

"Alice," he said, his tone careful but urgent. "What did you see?"

I hesitated, caught up in the vision. "Three . . . vampires. Headed towards Washington." I said slowly.

Jasper's expression smoothed. "Are they near Forks?" he asked, his tone authoritative.

"No, I don't think so. They look they're just wandering for now." I thought about the way the male had looked at that sign. Not as if he had a certain place in mind, more curious. Yes, wanderers. J

asper's posture relaxed slightly. "Let's talk to Carlisle." I nodded swiftly and we ran down the stairs.

Carlisle was downstairs, his black medical bag in hand, ready to leave for another day at the hospital. He looked up in surprise at our haste.

"Carlisle," I spoke out, hurrying to him. I tried to keep my voice calm. "I just saw three wandering vampires cross into Washington."

Carlisle didn't look the least bit alarmed, though he put his bag down and walked towards me. His voice was calm and assertive. "Where do you see them going?"

"They're not going any place in particular. Wandering, mostly." I said, feeling more reassured at my own words.

He thought for a long moment, and I waited. Finally, he spoke. "Alice, my dear, we don't have anything to worry about yet." I didn't miss the 'yet' part. "They don't pose any threats. If they do start heading towards us, we'll handle the situation with them peacefully. We're going to treat this like any other time others have dropped by near us, though that may not even happen. They're most likely just curious; we're _the_ largest coven, as far as I know. " His words calmed me immediately by the truth in them.

"Okay," I said softly.

Carlisle nodded. "Tell the others please, Alice; Jasper. Let them know. They need me at the hospital." Jasper and I both nodded. "Call me if you see anything else." he hesitated. His brow furrowed in thought, and he stared at nothing in particular.

I was caught up in my thoughts, and only distantly heard Carlisle say a goodbye as he left for the hospital.

I felt instant gratitude for my peculiar power. Being able to see the future gave me such an advantage, especially since I was most sensitive to our kind. We had fare warning, time to prepare if things turned ghastly.

I frowned at that thought.

Jasper was concerned. "Alice? Alice, what's wrong?" I looked up at him, still thinking. "Alice, why are you so worried about this? It's not as if this has never happened before. Three vampires may be in Washington. But they have no chance up against all seven of us. We're perfectly safe." he said soothingly, pulling me into his arms.

"Jasper . . . it's not us. It's _her_. If _anything_ happened to her, Edward would be . . . " There wasn't even a word to describe it. "It's not safe for her."

Jasper had a look of understanding. "Alice, we'll watch out for her. They're nowhere near us for now, and, as Carlisle said, we don't have anything to worry about."

I nodded, but knew he couldn't fully understand my panic. I already cared so much for Bella, just because Edward did. If anything bad happened to Bella, it would hurt me like it hurt Edward, because I loved him so much. He was my brother. Seeing him in pain put me in pain. I tried to be cheerful again to reassure the others. They needed that too. They weren't here yet, I told myself. They were nowhere near Forks. They couldn't lay a finger on her.

I let out a long sigh when Jasper helped me out, sending a wave of calm coursing through me. I closed my eyes, luxuriating in the feeling. The calm put things into perspective again, my mine clear, and suddenly, it was easier to look at the whole thing with less panic. Jasper didn't often need to use his power on me.

After a moment, I opened my eyes again. "Thanks," I breathed.

He gave me a half smile. "Sorry to do this to you all over again . . . but we have to tell the others."

I nodded. "It's okay. I'm all right . . . let's go." I took a breath and put a smile on.

Emmett and Rosalie were in their room upstairs. I made sure to knock before stepping into _their_ room. They weren't us.

Lightly tapping on the aged wooden door, Jasper beside me, I softly called out, "Rose? Emmett?"

There was gentle laughing coming from behind the door. "Alice," Rosalie called. She sounded cheerful, and I hated to break up the moment.

I carefully opened the door and walked into the room. Emmett lay carelessly on the couch tucked into the corner of the room, Rose in his lap. There was an easy smile on her face, a goofy smile – of course – on Emmett's. Rosalie's hair was not as carefully perfect as it usually was in school, more casually strewn over her shoulders. They looked happy there.

"Hey, Alice," said Rosalie, smiling at me.

"Hey," I replied. "Well . . . I have some news for you guys. It's nothing to be worrying about yet . . . but I had a vision that three wandering vampires are crossing into Washington."

I studied their reactions. Rosalie immediately tensed, glancing at Emmett. I could understand her instant alarm. Rosalie was very protective of Emmett; he was the very best thing in her life. Anything that posed a threat to him caused her panic.

Emmett, on the other hand, reacted the way I expected he would. "Are they coming to Forks?" he asked in a hopeful voice. Rose glared at that.

"No," I answered sternly. "And we would like to keep it that way." added Jasper.

Emmett gave the both of us a look of disbelief. Only he could look forward to such a thing as this.

"Aw, it'd be so much fun!" he exclaimed. The vampires' arrival could be a lot of things, but fun was not one of them.

"Well, we can find some way to get them to come over here." he added, eyes lit up at the prospect.

"No." Rosalie's voice cut out sharply, before I could say anything. Emmett glanced down at her, unabashed, apparently.

"Come on, Rose. They don't stand a chance." He said, smiling at that. That was the second time someone had said that. I took comfort in it.

"No," she hissed again. "No one is going to come here, we're not going to start anything with anyone." The way she said it made it obvious that it wasn't up for discussion.

"Emmett, we don't even know if they're hostile." Jasper gave him a strange look.

Emmett rolled his eyes, as if we were all being absolutely unreasonable. I had to smile at that. Emmett was so completely carefree.

"Well, then. We have to go tell Esme." I said, turning on my heel. They both nodded absently as they had already started a conversation. Rosalie didn't have the same look of contentment she had had before we had told her anything.

As I closed the door behind me, I let out a sigh and Jasper comfortingly put a hand on my shoulder. I headed downstairs again.

"Esme?" I called, not knowing where she was. She quickly appeared around the corner of the stairs, wiping her hand on a towel.

"What is it, dear?" she asked quietly. Seeing my mother so unalarmed, lovingly looking at me, I realized I didn't want to have to tell this to her. I looked at Jasper for help. He understood immediately and took over for me.

"Mom, it's okay. Alice just had a vision that three vampires would be wandering around Washington for a little while, but Carlisle told us to tell everyone." Jasper said calmly.

Esme looked a bit frantic as she took this in, though she tried to conceal it. She, no doubt, was thinking about the thing that had first worried me: Bella.

"Are you sure? Is it safe?" We all knew whose safety she was concerned for.

"They're not near Forks yet, Esme. For now, we shouldn't worry." I told her quickly.

She nodded her lovely heart-shaped face. "I expect Edward won't be too happy about this." she noted, raising her eyebrows.

I grimaced at the menacing event of telling Edward my vision. He would be furious and would act as Bella's personal bodyguard day and night until things cleared up.

"I'm going to be waiting for Edward then, Esme. He should be home soon." I said, noting the sunlight starting to spill through the windows. I glanced at Jasper, and he nodded, following me out the front door.

Esme looked lost in thought as we stepped outside. It was beautiful out – it seemed almost mocking on such a contrarily dark morning. The birds were singing above us, high in the treetops, oblivious to all possible troubles. The lush cedar trees ahead sang with beauty and health, allowing for little spotlights of sunlight to fall through to the forest's carpeted floor. I tore my eyes away from the rich abundance of the little clearing to a figure emerging from the shadowy trees. Gracefully moving towards us was Edward, his hair windblown, an easy smile on his face. He was probably expecting us.

I leaned into Jasper for support, not sure if I could ruin his happiness like this. He froze abruptly, three long strides away from me. He stared into my eyes, seeing my reluctance. I feebly tried to block my mind but it was a hopeless attempt. He'd seen – or heard, maybe.

"No." He growled, low and fierce.

Jasper sent a wave of calm over us. "Edward, please. Relax, it's okay. They're nowhere near Forks, and for all we know, never will be." I started, knowing it was idiotic to think Edward could be reasonable at the moment. He overreacted too much.

He glared at me. "Alice," he growled. "How could this happen?" he snarled through his teeth. He was livid.

Jasper was defensive, stepping forward infinitesimally, angling himself halfway towards me. "Edward, don't blame me. I can't control it." I said defensively, holding my palms up to him.

Edward took several deep breaths, closing his eyes to calm himself. Jasper and I waited patiently, and when he did open his eyes, running a hand through his hair, Jasper immediately relaxed. "I'm sorry, Alice. That was unacceptable."

I walked over to him. "I'm not too happy about it either. Edward, you're my brother. I know it hurts you to know anything could hurt that girl . . . but you have to trust me. I'll watch out constantly; I will make her safe." I promised.

He nodded, and I gave him a tight hug. "It'll be all right, you'll see." I murmured.

When I let go of him, I looked up to see his tortured eyes. "You need to hunt." I said abruptly, noticing his extremely dark eyes.

"Yes," he said, looking up towards the house. "I believe I have a hunting trip to undergo."

"Emmett's waiting, Edward." Jasper said. "The two of you should leave soon."

Edward nodded and went inside. As soon as he was inside, I let out a long sigh. "Well, I suppose that could've gone worse."

Jasper chuckled. "Yes, I suppose so."

"This weekend isn't going to turn out as I expected it would." I mused. "That doesn't happen often."

Edward and Emmett were all packed up and ready to go. Having done research, they were headed to the Goat Rocks Wilderness, where, apparently, the bears were overpopulating. Emmett ought to be jubilant.

The Jeep was full of Emmett's and Edward's backpacking gear – something they always had to bring for 'hiking' – and they were both ready to go. They had already said goodbye to everyone for the weekend – Esme a bit enthusiastically, happy Edward had a distraction this weekend, while Rosalie was on edge by the fact that Emmett wouldn't be near her when she knew the three vampires were wandering somewhere in Washington – but I wanted to see them off.

Emmett was in the driver's seat, ready for the journey, while Edward sat next to him in the passenger's seat, not quite having the same eagerness as Emmett. I walked up to Edward's open window, barely clearing it. The Jeep was massive, making my already-puny four foot, ten inches look childlike. I paid it no attention.

"Edward," I said sternly. He looked up at me. "Please don't drive Emmett crazy this weekend - "

"Yes, _please_." Emmett interrupted.

I glared at him. "Everything will be fine, I'll look out for her." I promised, looking back at Edward. He didn't look too comforted.

Emmett rolled his eyes before Edward could reply, already knowing what it would be – to some extent. "Edward, psychic, remember?" he pointed to me. I nodded my head vigorously as he looked at me, unconvinced.

"Let's _go_ already!" Emmett whined impatiently. Edward sighed in defeat and looked at both of us.

"I'm sorry, Emmett, for holding us up. I'm just worried. Let's head off."

_As if they wouldn't have gone eventually,_ I thought sarcastically. Edward gave me a look. He couldn't do much after that, though, since Emmett, needing no further instruction, shoved the key into the ignition. The Jeep was brought to life with a roar, and with a stomp on the gas pedal by Emmett, they were speeding out of the little clearing.

_She'll be fine,_ I thought too late, hoping he still heard it.

Jasper was suddenly standing next to me, taking my hand. "Come on, Alice. We have to go," he said. I sighed as he dragged me back inside.

**A/N: Thanks for reading! Was it good? Was it bad? I'm not sure about this chapter, it felt different. Well, I'm going to try to update soon next chapter. I'm looking forward to that one **

**P.S. Sorry if the line format is funky. My Word is acting out. Haha, my word. Sorry, I'll leave you be now :) **


	11. Author's Note

**I thought I should post this because I know I've left you all hanging for a really long time. I'm so, so, so sorry but I'm losing interest in the story. PLEASE DON'T HATE ME!! I know how frustrating it is when an author doesn't want to write her own story anymore, and I really didn't think that that would happen to me, but it did. I've tried to write the next chapter and thought I was just experiencing some seriously killer writer's block, but it's just not coming!! So I'm going to keep it up for now, but I might take it down eventually. If I do decide I want to do that, I'll ask anyone who wants what I do have now and send it to them. I think that writing fanfiction doesn't work out as well for me because I know that I should post soon and I try to rush. But I can't write as well because I can only write when I'm into the story and in the mood. So once again, SORRY!**


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